The Art of Parenting
by qweerlittlefish
Summary: Nappy rashes, tantrums, monsters under beds, and questions that undoubtedly kill them on the inside. They may be retired from the team, but they are still heroes to their children. Season 3 is up! Re-done thanks to BETA reader Lala Sharada.
1. Answers

Parenting

**Because it had to be done.**

**A huge hanks to my BETA reader, Lala Sharada! **

**If you guys want, I can put more chapters onto this. If not, still please leave a review. **

**Hope you enjoy, I own nothing!**

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Wally sighed wearily as his daughter's bright green eyes fixated on him. It was nearly midnight and she still wasn't asleep.

Artemis- the amazing woman she was -could normally get their little whirlwind to bed within ten minutes flat. Unfortunately, work had called her to Los Angeles for five weeks. She had been away for thirteen days at this point. Wally had only slept five of those.

_Three more weeks of this torture, _he thought grudgingly.

He sat down on the side of Iris's bed, drawing the covers up around her body, tucking her in. He then reached out to stroke her red hair, hoping to soothe her enough for sleep.

Her eyes sparked as an excited smile overtook her face, brightening the dark bedroom. She reached up and grabbed his hand from her head, holding it in her own.

"Daddy, tell me a story," she demanded.

Wally leaned forward and hit his head against the headboard, emitting a loud, frustrated groan.

Iris, oblivious to her father's exhaustion, giggled innocently at his antics.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Honey, I've told you twelve stories already. And we just read two books. You've had your night-night cookie, all of your toys are asleep . . . just . . . go to bed. Please?" he pleaded with his three-year-old.

If he left her side, he knew she would cry, and if she cried, the neighbors would get mad, and then he would _never _be able to sleep.

On the other hand, if he stayed with her, he wouldn't get any sleep, either. She'd pester him all night long.

There was no way for him to win.

Iris sat up and corrected him, "Daddy, not _all _my toys are sleeping. You didn't give kisses to Piggy or Teddy or me, yet!" She grabbed the two stuffed animals and crawled into Wally's lap.

Wally cradled all three close to his chest and leaned down to kiss the bear. "Good night, Teddy," he muttered, somewhat embarrassed.

Iris slapped his cheek, "No, Daddy! That one's Piggy!" The little girl furrowed her brow and squirmed, agitated.

Wally didn't even want to question her judgment, even though it made no sense. Again, he kissed the bear, followed by the pig and then his daughter's freckled nose.

"There, Iris. They're asleep now; you should go to bed, too."

She quickly shook her head and scrambled out of bed, heading towards the door. "I want a bubble bath."

Wally bit his lip, and rolled his eyes in impatience. He stood and grabbed Iris up, she squealing in glee as her feet left the floor. He forced her back into bed and when she was properly tucked in and all stuffed animals were, once again, all accounted for, he suggested desperately, "How about we play a game, instead?"

Iris cocked her head at the idea, but snuggled down into her pink pillow. "What game?"

Wally was stumped. He knew hide-and-go-seek would make her restless, and he didn't want another round of the Why game, even though that one did make her sleep, it was much to annoying to deal with in his sleep deprived state.

"How about you ask Daddy questions, and I'll answer them. Okay?" He liked sharing his knowledge and she'd get bored soon enough and fall asleep.

Iris nodded in understanding and then shut her eyes, accustomed to the game rules already, "First question, why can't I have a bubble bath?"

Wally mentally hit himself for deciding to play, but stayed true to the game, "Because it's late, and your hair will still be wet in the morning."

Iris could've argued this point, but she nodded, satisfied enough with his answer. Eyes still scrunched shut, she moved on, "Why do you believe it when someone tells you that there are billions of stars in the universe, but if they tell you that there's wet paint somewhere you have to touch it?"

He was surprised by this question. He'd sat on a freshly painted bench, blatantly ignoring the warning signs, a couple of times, but he never thought she'd ask about it. He had to think long and hard, but finally he conjured something up, "Because, I trust science, honey. But I don't trust . . . erm . . . strangers."

Iris giggled and opened one eye. "But, Mommy was the one who told you not to sit down," she reminded him, causing him to sigh and avert his eyes.

"Next question or the tickle monster eats you," Wally threatened, still unsure of what to do when alone with his only child. Normally, Artemis would tell him what was right and wrong.

Iris hummed lightly to herself, and finally another question bubbled to the surface, "How come number eleven isn't said like, onety-one?"

Wally rested his elbows on his knees, cupped his face with his hands and rubbed his temples, "I guess that's the way Romans . . . or Greeks . . . or _someone_ smart made it that way. And that's how we follow it."

Iris furrowed her brow, "I don't think it's smart. It makes learning numbers harder."

Wally chuckled and absent-mindedly brushed her red hair with his fingers,"Are you tired yet?"

Iris sat up and smiled, "I'm the one asking questions, Daddy."

Wally moaned and faked a smile. He was going to die of fatigue if he didn't leave soon, "Of course, honey."

Iris giggled, and once again, she was on her father's lap.

"When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?" She shut her eyes, patiently waiting for her silly wondering thought to get an answer.

"Cheese isn't alive . . . so . . . I don't think it say's anything."

"So, cheese is dead? That's not fair! I love cheese, Daddy!"

Wally reassuringly patted her on the back, she was now frantic, wide eyes filled with fright. He was quick to make amends, "No, no! That's not right, silly me. What do you think cheese say's when it gets its picture taken? I'm sure it's says something . . ." he pretended to think, and smiled when she calmed down and lay back in bed.

Iris folded her arms and smirked, "It obviously says People, Silly Daddy."

Wally slapped himself, smiling, "Of course it does."

"Daddy, Mommy always says that we're here to help others . . . so, what are others here for?"

Wally couldn't quite recall Artemis ever saying that, but he guessed it must've been in a bedtime story, maybe about Kid Flash and Artemis's fighting days.

"Maybe they are also here to help us . . . or maybe, they are here to be helped?"

Iris was somewhat glad with the answer, but her brow still wrinkled in confusion, "You said that we came from monkeys and apes. Why are there still monkeys and apes?"

Wally didn't understand why she had changed topics so soon, or why she had chosen to question something he firmly believed in. But, now that it was out in the open, he was beginning to wonder himself.

"I guess it's only a selected few? Or maybe we come from a different species of monkeys and apes . . ." he was beginning to ramble in his mind, and Iris tugged at his sleeve to get his attention.

"What's speeshes?"

Wally's brain hurt, it was too late for proper cognitive thinking. And now, she was asking more technical stuff.

"How about you ask a different question?"

"No." Iris glared at her father, who almost instantly straightened up and tried to fish the answer out of his very tired mind, "Species is . . ."

"How do they get the deer to cross at that yellow road sign?" she was very serious in her question, and now Wally understood why Artemis insisted that they explained things to her more often. He was dumbfounded for a minute; he didn't even know what in the world she was talking about.

Then it hit him. Wally took her gently in his arms, and had her lye back down.

"Because it's . . . safer."

"Ooooooh! I get it, now!" Iris seemed proud of the simple answer, and even prouder that she fully understood something so "complex."

Wally was about to crash from exhaustion, and things were already going fuzzy.

Iris's voice sounded very far away, "If one sinconisilled swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too?"

He had no idea what "sinconisilled" was, but the context was simple enough. He knew she wouldn't be happy with a simple no. She wanted a whole story out of the question, but his head was pounding.

He decided to lie, and make it interesting; maybe she'd fall asleep if he did? "No, honey. These swimmers have gills, so therefore, they cannot drown. They come from a magical planet, where only sinconisilled swimmers live . . . happily ever after . . . the end," he yawned heavily, barely able to get out that last sentence.

Leaning forward, he rested his head on her pillow and was sound asleep within seconds.

For a few moments, she curiously watched him bask in sleep. But, when she finally figured out that he wasn't going to wake up, she pinched his nose, annoyed with his light snores.

After Wally recovered from the terrifying wake-up call and had received enough air, it was too late to be furious with her. Instead, he tucked her into bed, and sat down next to her. He knew now that even if he was desperate for sleep, it wasn't going to happen.

The little devil wasn't going to have it. "When you're sitting on the upstairs floor, are you sitting on the downstairs ceiling?"

"Erm . . . yes? No, wait . . . you are . . . on the . . ." Again, Wally's head dropped down to her pillow.

Iris rolled her eyes at her father's laziness, but even still, curled up next to him. "Good night, Daddy," she placed a small kiss atop his head and shut her eyes.

Wally's eyes flung open, sighing with relief. After a silent victory, celebrating this most great achievement, and a quick check to make sure that she was in the land of dreams, he crept from her bedroom and took refuge in his own bed.

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**Hope you enjoyed! Should I do more? Yes, no, maybe?**

**Please review!**

**Thanks for reading. **


	2. Broken

**Guys, you know what...I give you permission to hunt me down and eat me alive. I've just been ignoring everything other than school...I had exams. But now it's fine! I'm back for now! I missed you all so very much...**

**This is an update! You all said you wanted me to continue, so henceforth I shall!**

**A huge hanks to my BETA reader, Lala Sharada! **

**I made a list of what all little kids do (to my knowledge) there are 19 things on there...so that's another 17 chapters after this...then I don't know.**

**Please read, review and most of all, ENJOY!**

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Wally and Artemis were never ones to panic. They had lived through dozens of life threatening missions; both grew up around danger and had never been a stranger to it. They each possessed undoubtable skills and could perform amazing feats of strength; they'd been through university and had also survived the many trials and grievances that all came with being parents of a young toddler.

Artemis and Wally hardly ever got worried, not about each other, not about themselves, not about family members or friends. They were never concerned, nor did they fret. They were usually non-chalant and laid back, going with the flow for the most part, as they were so used to the high risks that were once always hot on their trail.

While their daughter was growing up, she being four-years-old, Artemis still classed Iris- the red headed devil child -a baby. But, she knew full well that their little girl wasn't going to need Wally and her at every second interval, anymore.

These two young parents could hardly be recognized, now. Though, it wasn't because Wally had just gotten a haircut and also let his stubble grow a few centimeters longer than usual. And not because Artemis was wearing a short pink dress and styled her hair in a tight bun. Their facial features were still relatively the same; however, it was what their eyes and mouths expressed that illustrated certain change.

Wally had a tendency to furrow his brow and Artemis had a nasty habit of biting her lip, something she'd picked up during missions. But now, his wrinkled forehead was the epicenter of the earthquake that had morphed his face. His sunken features made him look far older than he was and he seemed very angry, his hands balled into tight fists at his side.

Artemis had chewed on her bottom lip so hard, it was now bleeding and she tasted the iron on her tongue. Her eyes were darting around everywhere, searching for anything that resembled her daughter, hoping desperately for a flash of pink fabric or a streak of red hair.

Wally grabbed her hand and forced her chin up to meet his face, though her gaze didn't seem to be fixed on anything, her silver eyes were filled with unbridled panic and fear.

"We NEED to split up."

Artemis nodded curtly in understanding, quickly wiping the streak of red from her chin.

Wally turned on the balls of his feet and sped off into the shopping mall.

Artemis frantically looked everywhere around the car park, checking underneath cars, around plants and bushes and asking people if they'd seen Iris.

Despite her best efforts and triple checking every possible hiding spot, the search was fruitless. No one had seen her; she wasn't in the car park.

Iris was nowhere to be found.

The fear wrapped tightly around her lungs, like an icy snake, making it hard for her to breathe. Burning tears clawed at her throat and they soon rolled down her face. Her chapped lips quivered and her heart had sunken down to her belly button.

Artemis started to walk forwards, heading towards the mall, but the stumbled action made her fall to her knees. She stayed there, too shocked and scared to move. She hadn't blinked once since Wally left, and now, her itchy blood shot eyes were rolling in agony. She was trembling and her head was thumping. She couldn't hear anything above the roaring in her ears; her disbelief was dawning on her. She opened her mouth and quickly closed it again, flopping like a fish.

Overwhelmed, Artemis covered her face with her hands and gave a heart broken cry of pain and loss.

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His head hurt, his eyes hurt, his heart hurt- everything hurt. His hands shook like a leaf, and his breathing was short and raspy as Wally sped back to where he thought it had most likely happened.

He reached the department store, one thing running through his mind- _how? _He was unsure of the when, why and what . . . but _how_ it could've happened was irritating him more than anything. It just didn't make any sense.

He ran in through the front entrance, instantly flinging himself to the main desk. He ran his hands through his hair as he quickly explained the situation.

The woman at the desk, though supportive, told him that she had to "find the manager first."

Wally trembled and gritted his teeth. They were making him wait? **WAIT!** He slammed his fist into the wall, swore angrily at the employees who told him to calm down and frantically began searching the huge mall. Five floors and he had no idea where she could be.

Iris had been with them throughout the entire day, she had peacefully rested in the seat of the shopping trolley that Artemis and Wally had filled and re-filled with different items. They had only taken her out once in order to pay for their things at the register.

They had left to go to the car, and then suddenly, an argument about how much they had paid for groceries earlier that week started up between him and Artemis. They had started to drive home in silence . . . and then they'd checked the back seat.

Iris wasn't sat in her pink car seat.

She wasn't hugging her blanket and watching the installed seat-TV.

Her happy, radiant face wasn't forcing the duo to make up.

_She wasn't in the car_.

Without giving it a second thought, Artemis and Wally left the car in the middle of the road. They needed to find her.

Wally kept on hitting himself, both mentally and physically. How could they have not put her in the car? Yeah, so what if she was independent and normally got in on her own? So what if he and Artemis had argued? _SO FRICKIN' WHAT_!

Wally pulled out a rather large portion of his hair, still trying to figure out where his daughter had gone. She could only be in the store or in the car park. Artemis was looking there, he could cover the store.

Iris had to be _somewhere!_

He finally reached the small toy shop, he had been completely positive that Iris would be looking at the dolls there. He'd spot that familiar head of bright red hair and she'd turn to him, all smiles, begging for a toy- or so he'd hoped.

There was nothing he could do; he had searched all the other floors twice. A gripping sense of failure rose in him, furious at himself.

He couldn't find Iris anywhere.

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Artemis was still on her knees in the car park, ignoring the honks of cars behind her. She knew full well that she was sitting in the heart of the road, but she couldn't care less, she was too busy trying to concentrate. The low humming in her ears died down and she lifted her face.

She had distinctly heard it, _her._ Iris.

Iris had just called her. Artemis's head swam and she swayed on the spot. She shook her head from side to side, trying to clear it.

Where had her daughter's voice come from?

She shut her eyes, trying to make the sound of shoppers and traffic die down, so she could single out Iris's voice.

"_Mommy." _

Artemis's eyes snapped open. It was from her right and she hastily looked in that direction . . . searching . . . searching . . .

The all too familiar feeling of dread swamped her.

It was another little girl was stood beside her own mother; perhaps she had just called that woman for help into their own car.

Artemis snarled and looked up to the sky, shutting her eyes. Almost instantly, someone grabbed her hand.

Wally's tear-streaked face was looking down at her. It did not remind her at all of her light-hearted husband. His jaw was locked, and his eyes were a dull olive. His nostrils were flaring, as if he was trying to clam himself.

She didn't look much better herself. Mascara stained her cheeks and underneath her eyes. Her bun had loosely come undone, hair getting into her eyes, and a trickle of blood was still on her chin.

Wally tugged her into a hug, shutting his eyes. He was quivering; wet drops fell onto Artemis' shoulder every so often.

"I'm sorry," his voice was so quiet that Artemis just barely caught the words, even though his head was right at her ear.

She nodded slowly and once again, gazed at the clouds. Wally followed her gaze, both staring up at the cloudy grey sky.

Artemis moved her lips quickly, as if talking to someone.

Wally knew what she was doing, and though he was still a full believer in science, he did what she was doing. He clasped his hands together, "Please . . . God . . ." his voice was strained, and his lips became a thin line. He felt a weight loosen in him, and realized he was no longer holding his spouse.

Artemis was still shaking as she left Wally's warmth and started walking around the perimeter of the car park, again.

He shook his head; they weren't going to find her. She was the most beautiful child in the world, best case scenario someone had taken her in as their own . . . worst case scenario . . . an image of her small dead body lying in a drain somewhere . . .

Wally tried to scrub the image from his eyes; he was grinding his teeth so hard that he chipped a tooth. He couldn't think like that.

They _would_ find her . . .

Wally glanced back at his wife, who was now shouting at people to help. He couldn't comprehend that only twenty minutes had passed since they had realised Iris wasn't in the car.

A few people started talking to Artemis, one was in a police uniform, but Wally didn't care. He was already planning to call Nightwing, he would get the army involved, and he was starting to formulate a world-wide search, and then maybe a-

Artemis's loud cry stopped his tumbling thoughts. She sounded as if she was in agony.

He closed his eyes, and tried to swallow his heart, which was now throbbing in his throat. He clenched his fists and swiftly looked to his wife.

In front of Artemis stood a little girl, holding an ice cream cone- her red flowing hair, her freckles . . . _her green eyes_ . . .

Before Wally realized that he had made the conscious decision, he ran straight to Iris and lifted her up in his arms, holding her close. Artemis joined in the hug a second later, both her and Wally's eyes shining with tears.

Iris started crying, too, her ice cream having fallen from her hand when her father picked her up.

In that moment, amidst the tears and cries, with his daughter cradled to his chest, Wally swore to never let her out of his sight.

Artemis was then tugging Iris out of his arms, and set her down on the ground, checking her over for any scrapes or bruises. With great relief she found Iris was perfectly fine, though, she was still whining about her ice cream.

Wally absent-mindedly reached down and brushed the blonde locks of hair from Artemis's eyes; distracting her from their daughter and making her turn her attention to him.

Their eyes met and in silent agreement, they headed home, interlocking fingers.

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**There we go. I'm actually so tired I'm shaking!**

**I hoped you enjoyed! I used to get lost all of the time when I was four...and one time I did come back with an ice-cream, though in all fairness, we shouldn't have walked past the toy shop!**

**Please review!**

**Good to be back!**

**-fish**


	3. Changes

**Hey guys, Thanks for all of the reviews! **

**I have no idea where I would be without my BETA reader, Lala Sharada. Thanks a billion!**

**Please continue reading, reviewing and enjoying!**

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Wally clenched his fists and shut his eyes, taking a deep breath and holding it in for a couple seconds, trying to keep his anger in check.

His daughter was prodding his arm and tugging at his sleeve. She had been doing so for over ten minutes, now. He glared down at her, daring her to continue, but at such a young age she hardly got the message.

Even though he was a now an adult and had plenty of life experiences under his belt, fatherhood being his most challenging one, Wally still found it difficult to keep control of his temper. He obnoxiously rolled his eyes, clearly aggravated, but paused when they caught the gaze of the lovely blonde standing beside him.

Artemis was glaring at him, warning him not to lose it.

Quickly losing himself in the silvery depths of her eyes, he found he was instantly composed. Letting out a long sigh, he stepped out of Iris's reach, while simultaneously trying to scoot her closer to Artemis.

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion and raised a single brow in question.

He shrugged his shoulders in response; he was tired of being Iris's little pinching bag.

Iris was a famously impatient little girl; not unlike her father. Though, she was also stubborn, which she seemed to have inherited from both parents. The reason for her pent up anxiety was due to the queue they stood in, outside the large Toys R Us store. At least another hundred families were in front of them, and the line trailed on for what seemed a mile behind them. Young girls clung to their mother's hand, some resting in their strollers, while others jumped up and down in excitement.

Wally mumbled under his breath and checked his watch for the umpteenth time. They had been standing in that same spot for over half an hour. It was twelve o'clock, and since arriving at the line at ten, they had made very little progress.

To be honest, neither he nor Artemis was sure what to expect. Christmas was coming up and the only thing on their daughters list for Santa was, _"_to be a princess." Although, Wally insisted that it was just a passing phase and that Iris would change her mind and ask for Lego's instead, she still remained true to her wish.

Her ensemble matched her desire. Her dark red hair was fashioned into a long plait down her back, a plastic glittering diamond tiara atop her head. She was wearing a light pink frock, which hovered above the ground. The dress was decorated lavishly with fake gem stones and she held a sparkly pink wand in her free hand. Iris resembled an iconic Disney Princess- missing only one thing, which Artemis had stressed that she needed.

Wally hadn't really understood how deep his daughters passion for Royalty and Fantasy had been, that was, until she had asked for every Princess movie that ever existed- which he later found was a surprisingly extensive amount. He'd spent hours on his laptop, shopping in online stores, searching for every suitable item he could find. She wanted the movies, dresses, tiaras, or any pink sparkly princess looking thing. Though, this great indulgence of her princess fantasies wasn't because Iris had started to treat him like a horse, forcing him to get down on hands and knees and carry her on his back through every room in the house. Nor was it because his love for his precious little girl prompted him to spoil her senseless . . . it was, in fact, all because of Artemis.

She had glowered at him when he'd initially refused to buy so much stuff just for some silly dress-up games, but then she'd launched into the story about her own painful childhood and her father . . . she was eventually succumbed to tears by the end of her woeful tale.

Wally didn't dare question the matter any further and that very night, went ahead and ordered the Princess Diamond Castle play set.

They'd already purchased her countless dresses, DVD's, dolls, as well as uncountable combs and bath products which all featured princess' faces in Iris's bathroom. As far as Artemis was concerned, Iris was practically Queen at this point. She was willing to break spine and neck for her happiness, which was something that was so sparse during her own childhood.

Iris was only missing one thing. Artemis had desperately saved up for this one day item, although, Wally had chipped in. The Princess Crown her daughter longed for was only a few hours away and Artemis knew that Iris would adore it- as apparently, every other girl in the line would.

Little girls, dressed much like Iris, some even dabbed in make-up, chatted and giggled all down the line. Parents ushered the impatiently rambunctious ones back in line, fathers looking bored as they watched their daughters squirm around in pleasure and mothers seemed to be expressing the same delight as their children were.

Iris gave a longing look to the front of the line, tugging on her father's sleeve, "Daddy," she whined, fluttering her long lashes.

"What?" his response came out much snappier than he had intended, but a quick slap on the arm by Artemis forced him to bend down on one knee and gaze into Iris's green eyes.

She tugged on his sleeve again, even though she was fully aware she had his attention, "Daddy."

Wally sighed, refraining from rolling his eyes. He gave her a genuine smile and brushed his fingers across her rosy, very freckled, cheeks. "Yes, my Princess?"

"Daddy, what are we doing here?"

At that, Artemis joined her husband on bended knee; the line obviously wasn't going to move any time soon.

Iris had a look of confusion on her face; her nose was slightly wrinkled as she tried to sort it out herself. Wally let Artemis answer, she was always better with things like this. "Honey, it's a surprise. You'll find out soon."

He knew that she hated surprises and instantly recognized by her reaction that she was not taking the matter in stride. The corners of her little mouth curled down, and her nose scrunched up even more. But, before she could start throwing a fit, Artemis placed a finger on her daughter's nose, smoothing it down. Her voice came out in a smooth, calm tone, "You'll like it, I promise."

Iris seemed to reflect upon what she had just said, lips pursed in thought, when she suddenly furrowed her brow- which Artemis again tried to smooth down-and leaned in closer to her mother, noses almost touching. She looked left and right, and then raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Artemis's beaming smile seemed to reassure her, and then, without any indication, quickly thrust out her hand, her pinkie finger extended. She had a very serious expression on her face.

"Pinkie swear?" Iris whispered, as though the words themselves were too fragile to leave the safety of her mouth.

Artemis mimicked her expression and also held out her pinkie finger. The two interlocked, and then Iris stood up straight, smiling. "You can't break a Pinkie Promise," she warned.

Artemis nodded in affirmation and then stood up, turning to Wally, who had watched the entire exchange.

A few minutes passed in silence, but then Iris once again demanded their attention with a sharp tug on their sleeves. They looked down at her, curious, and saw that she had an odd expression on her face, one that mixed both confusion and clarity all at the same time. Her eyebrows were pulled together as if upset, yet her jaw was set in determination and her were eyes clear, like she'd just stumbled upon an amazing revelation.

Wally asked, "What is it, Iris?"

"Wait! I have a secret I need to tell you," Iris exclaimed, eyes going wide.

Both Wally and Artemis shared a look of surprise and moved closer to hear her clearly.

Iris's face changed, once again very serious, "I know now where we're going."

She then began to remove her princess themed bolero, and gave off a heavy sigh, "I don't wanna be a Princess no more. I wanna be a Superhero . . . like the Flash, or like Uncle Nightwing." Iris beamed up at them, satisfied with her decision.

Artemis suppressed a small cry of defeat, and then with a look of someone who was gravely injured, grabbed Wally's arm, digging her nails all the way through the fabric of his shirt.

Wally managed to make out that she was going home, she having spoken through gritted teeth. He sighed as he watched Artemis shake her head in disbelief and walk back towards their warm car, knowing he'd have to run all the way back to the house with his daughter on his back.

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**Let me know how it was guys,**

**Have a good one!**

**-fish**


	4. Death

**Every child goes through it; every child has different ways of coping...as do the parents.**

**Dedicated to my dog Daisy, whom I lost when I was about six. See you soon, my tiny fluff ball!**

**(The dog is called Spike. I'm sticking to it! ;p)**

**Thanks to my BETA reader, Lala Sharada. As per usual, she is awesome! Hhaha**

**Please read, review...and ENJOY!**

Wally had no idea what to do. They'd had Spike for over ten years, first got him as a puppy and now he was gone. He felt a weird emptiness inside of him, as if he was fully aware that his dog was gone, but it hadn't quite registered. He stroked the mutt behind his floppy ears, even though some part of him knew the animal couldn't feel it any more.

Spike has passed away quietly in his sleep sometime last night, his old heart having finally given out. Artemis had awakened that morning, and as per usual, her first thought was to let Spike outside. She found it odd when he had yet to move from his spot curled up on their bedroom floor, for as soon as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, he was usually underfoot and wagging his tail in greeting, ready to go out. After she'd called his name and he still wasn't responding, Artemis went over to the dog and rubbed his head. She immediately noticed something was wrong and had reeled back in shock, waking Wally up in a panic.

Wally had yet to move from the dog's side since then; he was still trying to work out what to do with Spike- cremate him? Bury him? How was he going to tell Iris?

Iris had known Spike her entire life, there hadn't been a day gone by that she at least pet him, and now that little connection they had going on, it would be non-existent.

Wally lifted his head as he heard footsteps coming down the hallway, waiting on baited breath to see if it was Iris, he knew she would be waking up soon.

He breathed a small sigh of relief as Artemis poked her head around the doorway, her eyes very red. She wasn't taking the death of her beloved pet very well. She strode over and joined Wally on the floor, he shuffling over to make room for her. She leaned over and kissed the dog's muzzle once more.

He shut his eyes, watching Artemis cry was like having a dagger plunged in and out of his stomach. He felt numb after a while, but his mind was still noting the agony. He placed his arms around her and let her sink into his chest, drenching his top with her tears.

"What are we going to tell Iris?" Artemis whispered after a few minutes silence.

Wally felt frozen, he wasn't sure himself. How would they tell their four-year-old that her treasured friend was gone?

She shook her head, as if debating ideas with herself. Of course, they could just use the hundred-year-old trick and tell Iris that Spike had gone on holiday, but Iris wasn't a baby any more. She knew full well what death was- she'd just never experienced anyone close to her leaving earth forever. Artemis was debating on how she would approach the matter; straight out and harsh or sugar coated? She wanted to make the death of their beloved dog somewhat easier on Iris.

Suddenly, Iris peeked around the doorway, lighting up when she finally found her parents.

Artemis panicked and tried to shield Spikes body, offering Iris what she hoped was a disarming smile.

Wally quickly stood up and rushed over her, keeping her from going any farther. He looked back at Artemis for help, but she seemed just as afraid and confused as he was.

Iris rubbed her eyes and yawned, "Daddy, I'm hungry."

Wally forced himself to grin, "C-course, sweetie. What do you want to eat?"

Iris seemed to lose interest in him and turned her attention to her mum, who was still trying to pretend that she was simply posing on the floor. Cocking her head slightly, she stifled another yawn and padded over to Artemis.

Wally quickly grabbed her arm and tugged her back. He was sure of only one thing; she did _not_ need to see Spike sprawled across the floor, not breathing.

Artemis furrowed her brow and looked at the floor, obviously contemplating something.

Wally, not in on whatever plan she was creating, took Iris's hand. "Let's go to the kitchen, Mommy will come later."

Iris raised an eyebrow, and turned once more to her mum, "Okay. But, I gots to give Spike a morning kiss first."

His heart stopped. He turned towards his wife, gaping and a look of horror on his face.

Artemis gave him a silent plea, hoping he wouldn't do anything drastic. She had no support to offer him, she was at a loss of what to do or say.

So, trying to follow unspoken law, he knelt down so he was on eye level with Iris. "Mommy and Daddy have something we need to tell you," Wally said, his voice quivering slightly. He glanced at Artemis, desperate for help.

Artemis took a deep breath and then smiled sadly at Iris. Having finally found her voice, she plunged forward, "Spike needed to go, honey."

"Go where?" Iris's huge eyes looked between her mum and dad in turn.

Wally opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He turned to Artemis, a look of apology plastered onto his face.

Artemis said, "He went to a nice retirement home, he was an old dog, you know."

Iris raised an eyebrow at this and bit her lip. She looked to the floor, shuffling her feet nervously. "When is he gonna come back?"

Wally sighed and took his daughters hands in his, "He's not, honey. He's very happy where he is. They feed him his favorite food-

"Lasagna?"

"Yup, he gets lasagna every day. And he goes for long walks, and there are lots of other dogs to play with. He's got so many friends, now!" He was trying to hide the tears that were gathering in his eyes.

Iris's mouth turned to a thin line, and she looked to her mother, who nodded in agreement. Then, smiling as if it were the hardest thing in the world, she turned and started to walk out of the room, "If Spike is happy, then I'm happy," she sighed. "What is his new bed like?"

Artemis smiled, "It's huge! And you know the pillow you and Grandma made?"

Iris nodded, waiting for her to go on.

"Well, he's got that with him, too." She glanced behind herself, at the dog, whose head was resting on the very pillow she was talking about.

Iris grinned, "So, he won't forget me?"

Wally and Artemis exchanged glances, and then smiling they responded, "Never," speaking in unison.

Iris was satisfied with this, and still smiling, walked out of the room.

Artemis breathed a sigh of relief and Wally looked back at Spike. "What is it like?" he asked under his breath.

She glanced at him, knowing instantly what he meant. "I betcha he gets treats every day now, runs off leash and can poop anywhere without us getting fined." She laughed, though it was strained.

She began to stand up, "I'm gonna go make Iris breakfast."

Wally nodded, taking her spot beside Spike. He grabbed a throw blanket off of their bed and wrapped it around the dog's cold body. He deserved one more day with his family.

Later that morning, after she was fed, dressed and ready for the day, Iris checked on her daddy and found him in his bedroom, curled up next to Spike, snoring softy with tear stains on his cheeks.

Her smile was worn out and tears burned at the corner of her eyes. She didn't know what to say, but she knew it would be okay.

**There we go, shorter than usual, and not how I expected it to turn out, but, what the hay! :D**

**Hope you liked, please review!**

**-fish**


	5. Every Little Thing

**This started off differently in my mind, but I'm happy with it.**

**Please read, review and most importantly enjoy!**

**Thank you once more to my BETA reader, Lala Sharada! I believe a round of applause is in order for her help! **

Artemis stood by the stove in the small kitchen of her home. She was preparing the normally huge portioned dinner of soup along with meat and potatoes. Living with two speedsters meant large quantities at every meal.

Wally was at work and the house was unusually quiet. She suspected Iris was upstairs, in her room, playing with her dolls.

Artemis glanced at the time as she took the potatoes out of the oven, glad to see that she'd finished cooking dinner earlier than expected.

"Iris," she called.

The little girl zoomed down the stairs at her name, stopping at her mother's side, her face split with a wide smile.

"Want to help me make a cake?"

Iris paused and thought about the offer. Then nodded, and walked toward the sink, waiting for Artemis to lift her so she could wash her freckled hands.

Once all of the ingredients were laid out on the counter, Iris was set the easy task of stirring the cake mix. She struggled to mix it as the batter stuck to the wooden spoon in her hands. She stuck her tongue out in concentration.

Artemis took over after watching Iris struggle for a few minutes. "I'll call you when we can ice it, okay?" She smiled, trying to overlook the huge amount of cake batter Iris had on her hands.

She nodded and wandered from the room, also ignoring the mess she'd made.

After half an hour, Iris heard her name again. She threw her dolls off her lap and scampered back downstairs. She found her mother preparing the icing, but then her gaze was drawn to the chocolate cake on the kitchen table. She grinned and sat down.

Artemis hadn't noticed her presence. Iris's hand darted out from under the table, and took a large chunk out of the side of the cake. She repeated the process a few times, keeping an eye on her mum, paying no attention to how much she was eating.

She quickly brushed off her face when Artemis turned around. "Ready to ice, darling?" She asked, glancing at the cake. From where she stood, it still looked perfectly fine.

Iris nodded and took a spoon, so she could begin to place large amounts of icing on the cake.

Artemis drew nearer to the side Iris was painting and gasped. The whole left side of the cake was missing. Her expression turned stone cold and she glared at Iris, who sneaked another large piece of the cake from right under her nose.

Wally strutted into the kitchen, interrupting Artemis' glower, "Honey, I'm home!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, smirking, he knew full well Artemis could see him, but he also loved that line. "Oh, cake!" He ran straight to the cake on the table and took a hunk from the perfect right side, placing a kiss atop his daughter's head.

Artemis shook her head slowly. "Wuh?"

Wally scarfed the cake down, pushing another piece into his mouth as his wife watched.

Iris copied her father.

Artemis let out a low growl and tugged her apron off. She threw her hands into the air, and Wally and Iris stopped eating, as if it was a practiced signal and they were trained animals. Artemis's face echoed danger and her snarl was terrifying. Then, her expression changed to something to be feared even more; the face of competition. She ran to the table, "Leave some for me, will you!"

Wally looked on in shock as she began to stuff large pieces of cake into her mouth, chocolate icing sticking to her nose and hands.

Iris smiled happily and continued eating.

Wally leaned in and kissed Artemis's chocolate covered lips, which she tried to resist, and then began to eat once more.

"Betcha I can wolf down more," he mocked, grinning at his two favorite girls.

The duo looked up from the cake, smiling. "It's on," Iris shot at him, at the same time as her mother.

_"Cake for dinner . . . Life is sweet!" _Wally thought as he stuffed his mouth with more chocolate.

**Like father, like daughter.**

**Did you like it? **

**-Fish**


	6. Fear

**Here's another! Thanks for the reviews guys, they really make my day! :D**

**Hope you enjoy reading and don't forget to review!**

**And thanks so much to my BETA reader, Lala Sharada!**

Iris glanced up at her dad from her spot on the bed. He was leaving in the morning. This would be the last time she would see him for a month and no one was telling her why. Her lip quivered, and before he could disappear around the door, she screamed.

Wally sped back into the room, alarmed. "What!" He rushed to his little girl, "You okay, baby girl?"

Iris was winning, he was staying longer. She shook her head, a look of absolute terror in her eyes. "You forgot to scare away the monsters, under the bed and in my closet."

He slapped his forehead as if he had done a truly horrible thing, "Sorry, honey. I'll do it now." He rushed out of the room to get the special water spray bottle he had labeled MONSTER REPELLENT.

Iris patiently waited for his return, and when he finally came back, she breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to all of the places where she "saw the monsters."

Once he was finished safeguarding her room against the monsters, Wally went to her and kissed her forehead, brushing the hair from her eyes. "I love you, sweetie." With that he walked out of the room, leaving Iris alone.

She shut her eyes, tears brimming in them. The truth was, she wasn't afraid of monsters under her bed, some part of her knew they weren't there- the rational part of her knew that her parents would never truly let her sleep in a room where danger was so close. The same went for the monsters in her closet, because when she checked in the morning, the frightening shadows that had been cast during the night always had reasonable explanations.

She glanced at the shadows moving across her wall, animated by the cars that drove down the road, headlights far too bright. She saw a shadow which she knew she could use to her advantage. Iris wasn't afraid of spiders; actually, she found them incredibly interesting. The way they scuttled along on eight legs, the beauty of their webs. She marveled every time she saw them, but that didn't stop her from calling her daddy into the room when she spotted one in the corner of the ceiling, illuminated by the car lights.

Wally quickly appeared and took the tiny arachnid to the safety of their back garden. He once again gave his daughter a loving smile as he escaped from her bedroom, even though he so desperately needed to be in bed himself.

She waited for a few minutes as she listened to him walk down the hallway. His footsteps seemed heavier than usual. It dawned on her again that she wouldn't see him for a month. She contemplated a few ideas in her mind.

Iris wasn't scared of clowns, or any of her toys. In fact, she always wanted her toys to come to life at night. She wanted to hear how they would talk, what their real names were, what they did while she was asleep. The little clown that was given to her by her auntie not too long ago sat in the center of her room surrounded by her other dolls. Iris glared at the clown and once again, screamed. She whispered an apology to the joker and waited for her dad to come running.

Right on cue, he sped in and after Iris explained that the clown had moved on its own, which it- to her annoyance- hadn't, Wally retreated with the toy in hand, leaving Iris with another kiss on the forehead.

Iris wasn't frightened of the dark, as many children her age were. She felt silly sleeping with a night light, and most of the time, it put her off when it flickered. She smiled; this would be another excuse to call her dad. She waited patiently for an hour or so, watching the light waver and grow darker every couple of minutes, and squealed with glee when the nightlight glimmered off, dead, leaving her in complete darkness.

"DADDY!" She cried, and sure enough, he came on the trot. He listened patiently as Iris expressed her fear of the dark, and after a reassuring squeeze, Wally left the door slightly ajar for her, so the light from the corridor could serve as her new nightlight.

Having exhausted all of her ideas, Iris burrowed down under the covers and finally let sleep take her.

She woke up in the morning, startled by a nightmare that had seemed too realistic. She cried out for her father and cocked her head in surprise when it was her mother who answered her calls. Iris ran her hands through Artemis's blond hair and sniffed weakly. "Momma, where's daddy?" She already knew Daddy was gone on his trip, but she'd never gotten a chance to say goodbye.

Artemis placed a kiss on her daughters flushed cheeks, "Breakfast will be ready in five. I'm making pancakes."

Iris's weak smile was out of character; normally, those words would have brought her extreme joy.

Artemis left the room to finish making breakfast.

Iris drew her knees up to her chest and wept softly into her pillow. The thing she was most fearful of, was the only thing her father couldn't protect her from.

**LINEBREAK**

**There we go, hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review! Heck, I know it was short...but...**

**-fish**


	7. Games

Games

**Thanks for the reviews, here's another chapter with a prompt by a reviewer, which I hope you will read, review and enjoy. It's longer than the last few chapters have been, though in honesty, not one of my personal favorites because of how I write it. But then again...you will be the judges of that.  
**

Iris was in her best, pink, frilly dress. Her girly appearance was sickening; she looked as sweet as sugar and as saccharine as any true little girl should look. Her hair was in twisting ringlets, which were neatly tied into a pair of pigtails, her eyelashes long and her eyes, which were visible between every flutter, shone a dazzling silver. Her smile was dabbed with lip gloss and her nails were painted a light rose colour. Everything about her, Iris, screamed 'feminine', 'girly' and 'doll-like'. It was no wonder the girl stood next to her; with wild, knotted auburn hair, and dark, brown eyes, which gave a look of anger, looked so appalling. Her front two teeth were missing, and her face was extremely pale, almost see-through. She was wearing grey track-pants and a very loose singlet. Her sneakers were a size too big. The girl was chewing her nails, which were already short. Lian didn't want to be there; she hated coming to a house where dollies and adoration shone out. She glanced at her cousin, a look of disgust on her face, "_How could anyone look like that?" _She wondered, sighing and crossing her arms over her chest. Iris, however, was completely ignorant of the look of revulsion her cousin was parading, in fact, she herself had her eyes on someone else.

A little girl, short black hair and bright blue eyes, stood next to a smiling man. That man happened to be who Iris knew as _her _very own, 'Uncle Nightwing.' And yet, he hadn't even spoken to her yet, he was too immersed in his _own daughter. _The coal-haired child glanced at Iris, beaming, but the expression was in vain. Iris stuck her little nose into the air and sniffed. A dark-skinned boy stood away from the clutter of the group, his face down-cast. He brushed his hand through his short, coffee hair, and shuffled his feet. He jumped as someone tapped his back. Artemis, smiling, took him by the hand. They began to converse deeply, and soon the boy was out of the shadows, and introducing himself to the little red-head in pink. Iris accepted his friend request; he didn't seem to be a danger to her relationship with her parents, or Nightwing.

After the four children had gotten to know each other, Artemis strode into the centre of the kitchen, where she thought she would most likely be seen. She cleared her throat, "Be good, Iris. Everyone, the adults will be out in the garden if we're needed..." She looked around, as if half-begging them not to be pains in the bottoms, "...so...Have fun!" She smirked, and grabbed Wally's arm. He seemed rattled as she dragged him outside. They were closely followed by Nightwing, and a few other people who Artemis had never seen in her life. She blushed wildly as a dark-skinned man smiled at her, before disappearing into the yard.

Not even ten minutes past before the doorbell rung, Lian rolled her eyes, she was 'in charge' of the kids, and so far, they had been stood in the same spots, doing nothing. She hurried towards the door, and flung it open, trying to brush unruly hair from her eyes as she did. A tall man, with cropped back hair smiled, "Is this the West Household?" He asked, letting himself in. Lian looked to the ceiling, bored by his presence, "Unfortunately, Yes." The man didn't look surprised, and kept a smile on his face, "So...you're Iris?" Lian scoffed; surely she didn't look like a four year old. She didn't have to answer the question though, as if trained, Iris zoomed into the hallway at sound of her name, "Uncle Conner...Mum and Dad have told me all about you and how you _'dlooklike_!" She blurted, looking startled. The man grinned, and pulled Iris into a short-lived hug, "Nice to meet you too!"He offered. Noticing Artemis striding into the room, he stood up straight and bit him lip. "How are you?" Artemis asked, smiling. She had dragged him away from the room, to the garden, before he could answer. His absence exposed two tiny children, who looked about three, holding marbles. Lian glared at them, but Iris presented a smile, and introduced herself.

Iris, Lian, Mari, Garth, Zar-El and Ken-El looked at each other; desperately hoping one child would say something. Iris tapped her foot impatiently o the floor, before coming to the conclusion that she had the best idea in the world. "_We_...are going to go save the world." She stated, a smirk creeping onto her face. Lian raised an eyebrow, "In a pink frilly dress?" Iris stuck out her tongue, and removed the gown, exposing a vest with the flash insignia, and black leggings. She smirked as Lain's eyes bulged. "But..if you're too chicken..."

Lian shook her head, "In fact..." She pulled out a small stick from her shoe, which instantly expanded and morphed into a bow, she pulled a quiver out from the other shoe, "This play date...is about to get interesting." The children stared at her in awe as she began to share ideas. They soon joined in, exposing that they all had numerous abilities, and would all have a job to do, if, in an amazing case, they would find a situation in which they could be heroes.

Lian led the five children into the streets of Palo Alto, some may have considered their easy escape from the house bad parenting, but the kids most definitely considered it a huge quest. Iris scouted forwards numerous times; she was faster than all of the people in the group. This gave her something to show off about. She weaved in between honking cars at super-speed, giggling. The smaller children followed her example, much slower, but with equal pleasure.

It was surprising how quickly they found a game to play, or, what they considered a pastime. It happened to come in an extremely dangerous form; a couple of people robbing a bank. Iris rushed back to the group; this would be the first step to becoming superheroes. She explained that there were three men, apparently not armed. One was bearded, one was blond and the other was the leader. The group rushed to the scene, stopping in front of the burglars, who laughed at their presence.

"You gonna wish you didn't do dat!" Garth stated, shakily moving some water from a puddle with his mind. Iris nodded, "When we're through with you, you're gonna wish you were never born!" The men exploded in fits of laughter, and tried to brush past the hardly intimidating children. Zar-El smirked, this was her Que. She flung herself up into the air, and landed with a dull thump onto the nearest villain. He fell to his back, and Ken-El quickly grabbed his arms. The man's accomplices sniggered, not bothering to do anything, but the struggling man on the floor found this no laughing matter, "These kids are strong!" He shot out, trying to make the laughter die down.

One of the burglars, with more beard than neck, smirked, and offered a hand to his fallen comrade. He screamed in agony as green light shot at him, Mari looked pleased with what she had done as her eyes glowed green for another couple of seconds. The tallest, biggest man, who was leading the group, raised his eyebrow, and grabbed Iris and Lian, who bit and scratched him in desperation. Lian shot a few arrows using her bow when she got her hands free, but they didn't do much of anything. One wedged itself in between a few bricks in a house nearby, and the other merely skimmed the holder's leg. He rolled his eyes, "I hate kids."

The two other robbers took his lead, the blond, who had fallen to his back, was now holding the twins down, though finding the act extremely difficult as they swiped at him, and crushed his fingers with their tiny hands. The bearded man had caught Mari, and covered her eyes; hardly realising she could let out the same green lasers from her hands. He threw her to the floor, where she began to cry in pain.

A whip of water, streaking out of the shadows, caused the men to lose their grips, and the bags of money. Garth bounded out of the darkness, smirking. "Toldya you didn't wanna do dat." He stated, taking the sobbing Mari by the hand. Iris brushed herself off, glaring at the men. She kicked her previous captor in the face, and shook her head at a small tear in her singlet. Lain aimed an arrow at the leader, she wasn't planning on letting go, but she did look intimidating, and she found that, at the least, fun. The twins seemed unfazed as they brushed some dust from their clothes. There wasn't time for hugs and congratulations, however, even though the children were most definitely feeling a rush of excitement and adrenaline.

The police arrived within moments, staring in disbelief at the children. A few sped straight to the men, but a duo of cops ran to the children, instantly beginning to ask questions. Lian shut her eyes, "I gotta hell of a lot of explaining to do to your parents," She sighed, before wandering away from the group. Iris made up a story for the police, which the others went with, and then began to follow Lian. The others re-joined them down the road, happy, but ruffled up; cuts and scratches here and there, but smiling. That was an amazing play date, and for once, although they weren't planning on getting along any time soon, Lian and Iris agreed with each other.

**Thanks for reading, Don't forget to review!**

**To make some thing clear, Dicks daughter is in the image I wanted her to be in, but is real as stated: '**In the 'Kingdom Come' alternate reality, Starfire marries {Grayson} and bears their daughter Mar'i Grayson'

**Garth is Aqualad's son. Don't ask. **

**Zar-El and Ken-El are Conner's children. You can choose who the mother is, in honestly, I don't mind, that's why I didn't specify. **

**Lian is the child of Roy and Jade. **


	8. How to See it

How to see it

**My younger brother did the definitions of some of these words, along with the three year old I was babysitting. You may have heard some of them before, as I had to chip in with ones I thought would fit.**

**Hope you enjoy, don't forget to leave a review!**

Artemis stared at Iris' homework. She had received a zero, and Artemis was already prepared to sue the school. "This is way too hard!" She grunted, "As if four-year old's would know these words!" It was a list of definitions, and Artemis had completely overlooked the fact that parents were supposed to have checked it. She vaguely remembered telling Wally to help, but she wasn't too sure if he had. She held the A4 sheet in her hand, and glared, before finally calling Iris into the room. Iris plodded in, looking rather sorry for herself. Her bottom lip stuck out, and she glanced at her mum with a look of shame. Artemis patted her daughters head, "its fine. This was silly homework."

She handed Iris back the list, which read;

_Find the __**dictionary **__meanings of these words. If you can't, remember your __**alphabet**__, and get a parent to help! This is due on __**Friday**__._

Iris' scrawl of writing followed each word. It was too neat for it, and there seemed to be no spelling mistakes. This meant that it had not been done by Iris alone. Artemis silently cursed Wally in her head, reading over Iris' shoulder;

**BIDE**: Past tense of buy.

**OCTOPUS:** A cat with 8 legs.

**THESAURUS: **A dinosaur that studies words.

**PHONY: **Linked to telephones.

**SILVERFISH: ** A fish that is not quite as good as a goldfish, but still costs a lot.

**ARTERY:** Learning about paintings

**CAT SCAN:** A search for kitty.

**DILATE:** To live a long life.

**NODE**: Past tense of _knew_.

**BURGLARIZE:** What a robber sees with.

**PHARMACIST: **Someone who works on a farm.

**RELIEF:** What trees do in the spring.

**INFANTRY: **A small, baby tree.

**RAMSHACKLE**: Chains for a male goat.

Artemis rubbed her forehead, and glanced at Iris, "Who helped you with this?" Her daughter blushed, and Artemis instantly knew that it was not Wally. Iris beamed, "Uncle Nightwing." Artemis slammed a fist onto the table, startling Iris, who was told in a snappy voice to 'go and play.'

Artemis grabbed the phone nearest to her, and dialled with the speed of Flash, the person on the other end answered almost immediately, and Artemis took out her anger, "Dick. NOW!" She heard someone drop the phone, and then the voice of a young man spoke into the phone, "Hey, Arty. When I was over, I kinda...erm..." Artemis was shaking her head, before she realised that Nightwing couldn't see her. She stomped her foot, and took out her rage on Richard, "You're no better than Wally!" She squealed as someone grabbed her from behind, a certain red-haired male was kissing her neck. Artemis hung-up without further words, and glared at Wally, pushing him away, handing him the list their daughter had been helped with.

She watched him read it quickly, with a smug look. "This is why you need to call Dick yourself and-" Artemis almost dropped her cup of tea when Wally burst out laughing. He wiped a few gleeful tears from his eyes, and sighed, "Classic. Gold." Winking at Artemis, he left the room, probably preparing to scan the thing into his computer and share it with the world.

* * *

A week had passed without homework, but on Friday, Artemis was shocked to find Iris striding into the kitchen, sobbing. Artemis ran to her daughter, and ran her fingers through red hair, trying to calm the child down, "What happened!" She swore whoever hurt her daughter was about to get an arrow up the butt.

Wally followed Iris, and tackled her into a hug. A look of concern remained stationary on his face as he hugged his daughter. Artemis took off Iris' school back-pack and set it down onto the table, opening it to retrieve her daughter's lunch-box. She found a scrunched up piece of paper in the journey to the bottom of the back, where the box was laid. She pulled out both items, and raised an eyebrow. She knew instantly that this was badly graded homework.

Iris was only four years old, but she was in Grade 3, Wally stated that she had higher intelligence than any four year old he knew, and after IQ tests and taking into account that she already knew her alphabet and her times-tables up to 12, she was welcomed with open arms into Miss Appleyard's 'advanced' class . Still, both Wally and Artemis thought the teacher was too hard on their daughter, and expected too much of her.

Artemis skimmed the 'mini-exam' page, before scrunching it up, and throwing it at a wall. "I didn't learn half of that at school!" She fumed, and grasped her hair. Iris' lip quivered, and she padded out of the room. Wally rose up, also reading the 'exam' page. He raised an eyebrow, "Tough Homework...I didn't help her with it."

Artemis bit her lip, "No, you didn't. _Uncle_ Nightwing did."

Wally suppressed a snort, and put the paper down, "I'll call him." Artemis nodded and took the paper in her hands again. Recap homework was always a bore, and she knew that Iris didn't answer half of these questions without a smart-arse by her side. Grumbling, she sat down, re-reading the questions, and comparing what she thought Nightwing would have said...they were all matches;

_RECAP-HOMEWORK, due on** Friday**. General Knowledge._

During which battle did Napoleon die? **His Last Battle.**

The River Ravi flows in which state? **Liquid.**

What can you never eat for breakfast? **Lunch and Dinner. **

What looks like half an apple? **The other half.**

How can a man go eight days without sleeping? **By sleeping at night. **

If you had three oranges and four apples in one hand, and three apples and four oranges in the other, what would you have? **HUGE hands.**

How could you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it? **Anyway you want, concrete floor is very hard to crack. **

A simple ZERO and '_Come see me', _was scrawled on the bottom of the sheet. Artemis shut her eyes, waiting for Nightwing to come to their house. For one thing, she knew that she would never allow her daughter to do homework with him again...and for another...well...

She didn't finish her thoughts as a loud cry echoed through the house, she peered around the corner. Wally loomed over Dick, fuming. Mr Nightwing himself was smirking, but holding his nose. Artemis nodded, and magnetised the homework to the fridge. It would always remind her, and visitors for that matter, of what happened to people who messed with her daughter...and also, now she thought about it, both pieces of homework, had been very funny. She smiled as she put the kettle on, trying to hold in a giggle.

**There yah go. I'll try and make the next one longer!**

**Don't forget to leave a review!**

**Peace!**

**-fish**


	9. Independence

Independence

**Little kids always act older than they are, and it irks me!**

**Hope you guys enjoy! Thanks so much for all of the reviews!**

Wally stood in the doorway of his room, watching Iris struggle with her cardigan buttons. She had already smudged Chanel Lipstick over her plump lips and cheeks, and her face was littered with sparkles from the pink blush which stood on the dressing table. Her feet were encased in much too large high-heels, and her newly pierced ears were holding mismatched earrings; one emerald green and hanging, the other a small, neon pink star stud. Her eyes, normally bright, were under the cover of poorly applied mascara; some of her eyelashes were drooping and long, while the others were in their usual curved style. She beamed at herself in the make-up stained mirror, wiping her still wet fingers -from the nail polish she had tried to apply- on her skirt. Wally noticed that the lipstick, which made her look a little too much like the Joker, was also layering her teeth.

He hadn't said anything yet, he was too shocked. He bit his lip, trying hard not to cry; not because he knew what Artemis would do to him once she found the state of their daughter, and the mess which had become their room, but because Wally suddenly saw how much his daughter had grown up. It felt like only a week ago when he had pretended the spoon, filled with mushy baby-food, was an aeroplane. It felt like only yesterday that she had been stumbling while trying to hobble into his open arms. It felt unreal, how quickly time had passed. He swore that only recently he had been trying to get her to say 'dada', or forcing her to lie still so he could change her soiled diaper. He looked longingly at his little girl, and couldn't believe her. Hadn't he only just sung her a lullaby and placed her into a crib moments ago? Hadn't she only just grown her first tooth- wasn't he still sleep deprived? Didn't she still want a bottle of milk at two in the morning? _No_.

Wally shook his head in disbelief; the little baby whom he had rocked to sleep, loved and cuddled to breathlessness was now a rapidly growing child. She placed the finishing touches onto the colouring book of her features, and turned to face the doorway. Her eyes grew large in shock as she saw her father, and she decided the only option was running. Wally however, much faster, grabbed his daughter and lifted her to his shoulders, holding her tightly by the ankles. She squealed in glee and patted his father's head. One shoe carelessly flew to the floor, followed by a fake nail. She squirmed, trying to get comfortable, while her dad chuckled.

Wally knew his daughter was getting older. She no longer needed him to tie her laces, or dress her up. She didn't need to be fed from a ladle, nor did she need to be held by the hand at every opportunity, but Wally was sure that if she ever fell, he'd be by her side in moments, he'd always take her side in arguments and he'd shoot any boy that hurt her...This thought made Wally shake his head and snort. Boys? Iris was only four! She would still need swimming lessons, and he would still help her ride her bike...he still read her bed-time stories, and (though he hadn't told a soul) played Barbies with her when Artemis was working.

Speaking of the devil, Mother and Wife strode into the room at that moment. Her look was tired, somewhat crest-fallen, and she rubbed her eyes and swayed slightly as she started rummaging through her bag. She'd been working the midnight shift, and was obviously too exhausted to have noticed the clown that had replaced her child or her suddenly 'taller' husband. Wally placed a finger to his lips, glancing up at his daughter, who had a frightened expression on her face. He let her down, softly, and she sped from the room. Artemis stirred, opening one eye to glance at Wally before flopping onto the bed. He smirked, sitting down onto the bed and stroking her hair.

He found Iris ten minutes later in the bathroom, brushing her teeth. She had already scrubbed a large amount of make-up off her face, but still looked a bit like a pudding. She'd poured some of the paste onto her Mickey-Mouse top, which she must've changed into while Wally was talking to Artemis. She had gotten out the footstool by herself, and was intently gazing at her teeth in the mirror, obviously trying to scrub the lipstick off them. Wally tried to hold in a gasp. Normally he would be working at this time, and he wondered how Artemis could possibly get lunch ready and take their daughter to school while so tired.

His questions were answered as Iris waddled from the room, and strode to the kitchen, starting to make herself a sandwich. Wally's eyes were wide; she was too independent for her own good. He rushed to her side, and snatched away the sharp knife she was clutching in her pale hands. Her hair, he noticed, was already in plaits...and yet it had been flowing down her back when she was applying the 'face-paint' to herself.

Wally placed his hands on his hips and stared at his child. She glanced at him, smiling, but Wally wasn't having any of it, "Iris, go get back into your pyjamas, find the Velcro shoes in your closet from last year, take your hair down; I'll do it for you, I'm gonna make your lunch, and bring me your homework, _I'll do that_, What do you want for breakfast...?" Iris raised an eyebrow, and took down her hair, leaving to go to her room, to complete the set tasks.

Wally didn't even realise that he had asked her to do stuff people even half her age wouldn't do on their own- her shoes were on the top shelf of her closet, and yet, she returned ten minutes later in her bright pink pyjamas, holding shoes and a sheet of paper, which already had scribbles on it.

She munched her Weetbix in silence as Wally completed the work and packed her lunch, then he brushed Iris' teeth for her, and soon after he began to twist her hair into a lopsided ponytail. He helped her dress, and only let her hold onto his shoulder as he placed her feet into the Velcro shoes. Iris didn't look happy in the slightest, but allowed her father to do what he thought was obviously important. Wally walked her to school, holding her hand all the way. Iris constantly wanting to speak, but Wally shushed her, explaining they'd be there soon.

When they arrived the gates were closed.

Wally glanced at his daughter, who shrugged, "I tried to explain. Momma made my _breakfast_ before for me and put it in the fridge... I was just cutting the crust, and momma got me the footstool from the cupboard when she came home. She already put out the clothes I had to wear on my stool yesterday...and she did my homework with me before...I had an extra sheet for drawing that you did."

Wally stared; open mouthed, at Iris, "What about the plaits?"

"I practise on my Barbies a lot."

Wally hoisted his daughter into the air, letting out a weak laugh and shrugged, "Well...how about we go for a run?" Iris smirked; she didn't want to mention that she had done so this morning, before he had woken up. It would raise too many questions, so, sighing, she stayed put on her father as he strode towards the park.

**Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a review!**

**-fish**


	10. Jealousy

Jealousy

**This is a milestone chapter in many ways (It is the tenth chapter and ten is my lucky number, plus there's a new character involved), so because of this fact, I would like to Thank everyone who has ever reviewed:**

**-Amanda, airbrick, BlueDinosaurs, didyaya107, Dextra2, EmmaLemon, Irenerb, I Ship Spitfire 3, Jazbez, j9162, keepmovingforward2, LilliannaRider, lock27100, Larcian, My Own Mayday Parade, memmek10k, oaktavor, QueenJoJo, randommonkeyz998, rouge42197, SpitfireChick, Smiles4eva, Starfox, Spitfire-naruhina123, SladeRaevnFan, Valkry1, Wolf Skater and xXRandomnessXx.**

**You guys, you seriously make me the happiest person in the world. Your constant support and feedback is amazing! I couldn't have asked for better reviewers! Thank you also to the people who have faved/alerted, the list is quite extensive, and I don't have it with me. But Thank you all the same!**

**Thanks so much, before I start tearing up, here is another chapter.**

Mari was over at the house again. Her short black hair, her big blue eyes, a poufy blue skirt that matched the stupid azure bow in her locks, it made Iris sick, her own parents; they were almost drooling over her. Was she their daughter? No. Heck! She wasn't even related. The little girl was sucking away all the attention, as well as her thumb. Mari; with her pirouettes and pigtails, her sickly-sweet voice and her fluttering lashes, not to mention her almost toothless smirk!

Iris growled. She already had ALL of her teeth, she was obviously more mature, her hair was thicker and longer and her eye-lashes could flutter ten-times the speed Mari could muster. Her 'I'm a little tea-pot moves' made far more people swoon. Wally and Artemis must've only liked the child because she belonged to Uncle Nightwing.

He, however, was smiling at his daughter too; not once did his attention avert to Iris. She bit her lip, she missed the times when it was just him babysitting her, none of that 'play-date' nonsense. Sure, she put on that Mari and she were friends. But, in truth, Mari was a little suck-up, and Iris wanted the world to see.

Thank God for clocks though. Mari had a bedtime, and that meant she had to leave (on whatever terrible day she came) at about seven. Iris would normally go for a walk around these times. Mari would cling onto Wally when she had to leave, and her father would suggest the atrocious. He would utter the words that made her stomach churn, "Ah! I wish we could keep her!" One time, when he father had stated so, Iris had gone up to her room to cry...but because Mari was over, no one even knocked to ask if she was okay. Artemis would exclaim how, "well-mannered" and "sweet" little 'Nightstar' was. Iris stuck out her tongue; even the girl's nickname was unthinkable.

When Wally and Artemis both approached Iris one morning, with the news that Mari had gone to live overseas with her own mother, Iris pretended to care, she even let a few tears out for the sake of it. But that wasn't the end of the news that they had. She instantly knew something was wrong when Artemis sat down onto her bed, and Wally started absent mindedly stroking her hair. Artemis smiled, and looked to Wally for support, "Would you like a brother or sister?" They said together, in nervous voices.

At first, Iris had squealed gleefully in response, and Wally and Artemis had shrieked in happiness and hugged her. In fact, she'd never seen them happier. About three months after the news, they even started re-decorating the study, buying toys and inviting pleasant and polite people over, unlike the usual house guests. Iris, however, soon began to notice that these gifts the people brought were not for her, and neither were the toys. Her room was not going to change either...and she began to glare at her mother's stomach, where apparently the baby was growing, like a leech.

She contemplated running away, they were obviously too involved with this new kid, like they had been exactly the same with Mari. Iris had a horrid thought; What If Artemis was actually pregnant with the same black-haired, blue-eyed child Iris despised. She shuddered at the thought, and made a pact with herself. If Mari was going to come tumbling out of her mother's bellybutton, she was going to die.

Around the sixth month, Artemis looked extremely tired. She'd wake up earlier than usual. This itself didn't frighten Iris, the retching noises from the bathroom, however, did. Her mom could no longer run beside her, and she stopped cooking as much, apparently too tired. Once in a blue moon, Microwaveable food was divine...but every other day? Iris was starting to get sick. The summer-holidays arrived, and Iris thought it would be the perfect excuse to visit the beach, however Artemis, afraid of sunburn then, more than ever, forced Wally to go instead. Unfortunately, he didn't last long either. Her own dad, who normally wanted to be with her, Iris, at every opportunity, built a lopsided Sandcastle, and decided that he wanted to hurry home to check on his wife and the growing parasite.

Her birthday arrived towards the end of the eighth month. Wally took her and a few friends out for dinner. Iris was elated to see Mari, fluttering her eyes and sticking her nose into the air. This meant that Artemis, who had slept when Iris had left for the party, was not going to pop-out Mari any time soon. Iris couldn't have cared less about her friends at that moment though; she had turned five years old. School was re-starting in a week, and Wally was no-where to be seen.

She later found that he had rushed home to Artemis, who was having trouble doing something. For the first time in a while, she could talk to Nightwing, as Mari played in the child's area. Iris smiled at him, and asked him an unnerving question, "Where do babies come from? Dad told me from bellybuttons...but...if from there, then how would they get out?" She pulled up her lilac singlet slightly, exposing her tummy. She poked herself in the navel, half-expecting a child to begin to grow inside of herself. Nightwing looked at her, a panicky beam planted on his face. He tensed his shoulders, and rapped his knuckles against the wooden table. The 'tap, tap' of them was almost musical, as his fingers curled and unfurled. Finally, after an inner battle with himself, he began to answer, "Well...mommy and daddy get very close..." Iris looked at the usually brave man intently. He was blushing furiously. He bit his lip, drawing blood, deciding he wouldn't tell the girl the truth, "And then...they... erm...they buy a flower. Yup. A flower."

Iris raised an eyebrow, and bit her own lip, "What kind of flower?" Nightwing smirked, apparently enjoying the fact that she was so innocent and he could make up anything he wanted. "A baby plant. They come in loads of colors..."

"So blue for boys and pink for girls?" Iris asked in a whisper, staring Nightwing, right into his sunglass-covered eyes. Nightwing nodded, but Iris didn't look amused, "That's not loads of colors..." She looked on the verge of crying, but Nightwing quickly swerved away from that line of thought, "Well, anyways!" He shot, "The plant grows, and then it loses seeds. Mum and Dad, they pick a seed, and then Mum, Artemis in the case, eats it. The baby starts growing inside of her."

Iris looked shocked, "So it's inside her tummy? Where does the food go, that mommy eats, then?" Nightwing cursed under his breath, and anxiously smiled, "The baby eats it."

Iris narrowed her eyes, and stuck out her bottom lip, in deep thought, "But won't mommy be hungry?" Nightwing didn't get a chance to answer that day, the fire-alarm went off in the building, and the group of children were swept out of the restaurant by workers and Mr. Grayson himself.

* * *

Around a month later, Iris sat patiently outside a white door. Her feet couldn't reach the floor, but in any case, she wouldn't have wanted to. The tile was a perfect white, the walls were bleached and any ornament or seat in the hospital was the color of fresh-fallen snow. She had a coloring book with her, but dared not use the crayons. She worried that she would get kicked out if she got even a speck of green on any item in the perimeter.

Uncle Nightwing strode into the hospital later that day. He handed Iris a phone, so she could play on some of the games, with their bright, flashing colors and 'unique' designs. He disappeared into the room that her father had left into more than three hours beforehand.

Iris soon got bored with playing 'SNAKE' and took off her shoes. She raised her feet to her chest, and tried to sleep. She didn't have any idea what the time was, but she was exhausted. Her head slumped into the rigid back of the plastic she was sat on. She didn't notice several other visitors during the two-hours her eyes were shut, but for some strange reason, she could hear their voices. Some sounded elated, others sounded worried, and she heard a lot of crying when her ears pricked up. This shrill noise made her wake up in time to see her Grandfather speeding into the secretive room with a camera. She cocked her head to the side. Had he not noticed that the door was still ajar? She paused, waiting for it to slam shut...

The time didn't come, and slowly, Iris rose, and padded towards the room where so many had vanished into. It was a blinding white, and she got the feeling that she was looking into the sun. Once her eyes adjusted, she noticed a few men and women in green masks, standing over someone she couldn't see. The voices were loud, excited, and yet, the crying still went on. The camera that she had seen her grand-dad take in was flashing wildly. She strode towards the crowd, trying to peer under then, to see what was so incredible.

Something hoisted her up, she squealed, but was aware of who was holding her up. She instantly saw her mother, who looked worn, but happy. Iris scrambled out of her father's arms, and ran to her mother's side, quite interested in the bundle of blankets she was holding. Artemis grinned when she saw Iris peering intently at the blankets. Iris could now see where the whimper was coming from. Her mother held out the package, and only then did Iris notice a face. Wally placed a hand over his daughter's shoulder. She seemed to have no idea what a scrunched up, red face, was doing covered up to such an extent. Wally saw her confusion, and turned to face her, taking the bundle into his sturdy hands. He held the child out for Iris to see, and beaming, he whispered, "Iris...meet Jai, your new baby brother." Iris slowly looked over Jai.

His hair was fine, and his features were scrunched up, his eyes little slits of blue-gray. His finger reached out towards Iris' face. She smirked, and took his hand, very lightly. She herself could see how fragile he was. She brushed his forehead with her lips, and grinned, "We're gonna have lots of fun, Jai. I can tell..." She stopped; looking lost for words, and slowly bent down, closer to him than before. She spoke in an almost undetectable whisper, "I'm Iris...by the way, your big sister. "

**There we go. Meet Jai guys! :p**

**Hope you enjoyed, please R & R!**

**-fish**


	11. Kiss at Kindergarten

Parenting 11: Kiss and Kindergarten.

**Haven't written in ages! Gah! I'm so evil!**

**This is just something quick for you to ponder over. I had my first kiss at three, just for a little background info. Me and my friend (male) were playing Mommy's and Daddy's and...we kinda had to get married. Yup. Still have the ring and all. ;)**

**Enjoy. **

Her mothers were quick and meaningful; her father's always caught her off guard. Jai's were a mix of slobber and childish play. Iris, however, NEVER ever kissed anyone. She would hug, of course. She would praise, and compliment...but not kiss. Not often. She saved her kisses for her dad...but he only came home on Saturdays, and her mother was always almost too busy to kiss.

She also had a secret. Her best friend, Alice (naturally the opposite of Iris) had told her the horrors kisses contained, and how even holding hands could pass on a deadly virus- Kooties. Several people in Alice's class had claimed to have had horrible symptoms after getting kissed by girls, or touched by boys. Alice had told Iris, while they were sat cross-legged in the yard one day, a few horrifying stories, each worse than the other, about the disease. She had listed the symptoms, counting them on her long, freckled fingers: Throwing up, the Shakes, Fever, Rashes, Bruising, 'Scarring' of the mind...and worst of all, death. Iris had stayed clear of her usual male friends from that day, and they seemed to be steering clear of her too.

Iris was so afraid that she would catch the disease, she even pleaded with her mother to take her out of school. Artemis, ever loving, but stern, had acknowledged Iris' fear, but explained, in a rather serious tone; "Mummy and Daddy kiss, and hold hands, all the time. Do you see me dying?" Iris had prayed to God every night after that, asking the almighty to not give her mother the late symptoms that she was supposed to have. She shuddered every time she saw her parents together; of course she had seen them be affectionate to one another; though it didn't make it easier to see slobbery kisses sent at each other while Iris covered her mouth and dodged.

One day; a wet Monday, in precision, Artemis had dropped Iris off at kindergarten early. Iris stood, rather awkwardly, in her little red dress and white stockings under the canopy of trees. She hadn't even noticed when James, a caramel haired boy, with Opal eyes teetered towards her. He had his head in a book, and his face was scrunched up in concentration. Before the outbreak of Kooties, Iris had been rather fond of James. He was smart, and funny- a real charmer. Before Iris knew it, James had stopped by her side. He dropped his book, blushing. Iris tried to ignore him, but couldn't. She reached down to his side, and helped him up. She quickly checked her hands for red splotches; he seemed to be doing the same. James laughed, raising an eyebrow, "If you don't believe in Kooties...you won't get them. Just like if you don't believe in the game Jinx."

Iris smirked, "No! Jinx is for real! If someone says the same thing as you at the same time, it's protocol! You have to stop talking!"

James giggled, "True...but what if you hold your breath? Or cross your fingers...? What if you just say, 'I don't believe in Jinxes'?!" Iris stared at James in disbelief. How could someone be so sure that they were right? James looked eagerly at Iris, who seemed hesitant in believing him. He curled his lips upwards. "If you don't believe me...I can show you." And like nearly every kid in the world, James did something he wasn't quite sure of. He did something that would be special to Iris, but a secret to everyone else. He reached up to the red haired girl, and planted a kiss on her chapped lips. It lasted little over a second, and as soon as Iris realized what James had done, he beamed and stated, "I don't believe in Kooties. And you look the same to me." He rushed off, leaving his book and backpack, obviously embarrassed, while Iris stared at nothing, open mouthed, trying to understand the events that had just taken place.

When Iris got home that afternoon, she ran to the bathroom, clambered onto her stool, and looked at herself. She didn't _feel _sick; she wasn't shaking, and no signs of rashes stood out. She splashed water onto her face, and shook her head. She'd be fine. Wouldn't she? She strode slowly to the kitchen, she was only FIVE, she _couldn't _die.

After munching her food, she paced in her bedroom. Finally, she smirked, and placed a hand to her lips, "I don't believe in Kooties." She shot a few glances around the room. No one screamed, no one moved...no one was there to judge. If she didn't believe, who was to say Kooties were even real? Feeling rather smug, she raced to her mother, planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek, and with a tone of absolute seriousness, she stated; "I'm not going to die." Artemis stopped in her tracks, raised an eyebrow at a time, and sighed.

**There we go. Something fun and random. Hoped you liked it. I'm not sure If I got Iris' age right; I haven't written in so long. She celebrated her fifth birthday somewhere in these chapters...yes?**

**Please review.**

**-qlf**


	12. Lies

Parenting 12: Liar

**Haven't we all? And boy wasn't the threat scary? If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you'll have to read on.**

**Enjoy.**

Iris had developed a rather nasty habit. It had started at school, and slowly morphed its way into the home. The only weapon her friends used against her were the words, 'I'm gonna tell your mom!', but the thing that took Iris by surprise most, was the fact that her parents **always caught her out. **

No matter how good the lie was; Iris couldn't pass the hardest level. No matter how long she sat in her room, creating the most believable tale, her parents would always know that she wasn't telling the truth. She didn't know how they did it; half of the things she made up were about school, and unless they strapped cameras to her, they had no way of knowing what she did there. Her parents weren't _always _weird, so she highly doubted that she had a recording device strapped to the inside of her backpack. So Iris was dumbfounded. What did she do that gave it away?

Her friend, Alice, was a terrible liar. Her voice went high pitched and she could hardly maintain eye contact. And as Alice and Iris were opposites, Iris obviously had no trace of those two weird habits. When she lied her eyes were always on the prize and her voice always maintained an even timbre. A few of the other girls in her class, especially the ones who already wore _lip-gloss_ were caught in the act of lying because their stories were just so...mindboggling. Too amazing, too finely crafted...Iris made sure nothing she stated to her parents sounded too good to be true, she tried to make it sound as if she was talking about eating a cheddar cheese sandwich (something she did on an every day basis). Still her parents managed to tell that what she was saying wasn't a reality.

The day's she spent with her Uncle Nightwing were the days when Iris truly learnt. At school she could point out the mistakes of fellow tell-tales, and make sure she didn't have the same flaws, however with Richard Grayson, things were a whole different story. He told lies effortlessly. He'd tell the Paparazzi (that somehow always appeared where he was), "No, I'm not the adopted son of Millionaire Bruce Wayne, I'm just your average college-kid." Things like; "Yes, this is my sister," he'd tell adoring (and beautiful) women, who stopped to talk to as he pointed at Iris. But the lies weren't just small identity cover-ups, Uncle Nightwing went as far as tricking take-away shops into selling him free food, mooching cash of random friends and even somehow convincing a whole theatre of people that he was from the future. Iris looked up to him, and though he was definitely not the best role model, he loved to teach her the ways of any true deceiver.

"Back straight, confident in what you're saying, don't smile too much, don't give extra details straight away...and remember be 100% yourself." Those were the first things Dick had taught a bewildered Iris about lying. She was getting fairly good at the first three...but not giving details? Maybe that was where she'd slipped up before so many times?

A few days previous to Nightwings little lesson, Iris had been waiting patiently for her Father to finish making her a sandwich. When she saw the deep-fried, ketchup spluttered contraption her dad had brought on a plate to her, she had instantly backed away from consuming it, and she'd began telling Wally all about how Artemis thought it was too unhealthy; "Momma said if you deep fry something, I should steer clear of it." If she had stopped her tale there, maybe her shocked Dad would have taken the plate away and sulked, however little red haired, Iris, sat on a too high chair; feet skimming the floor as she swung them back and forth continued, "Momma said that if I ate the food, I'd most probably die. She said she didn't want to pay gazzilion's of dollars for a coffin. Though I'd like a green coffin if anything we're to happen...anyways...Mum said that I can't eat the thing you've just made for me, and she told me all about it on Wednesday..."

Of course Wally hadn't believed his daughter, even though she thought she had done a rather amazing job. He ate the food himself, and just handed Iris an Icy Pole without further words. Her father was one to brood; it was a known and widespread fact.

Iris, however, now had the knowledge to lie. Thanks to Nightwing, she pretty much had Step 1 in the bag. And she didn't waste her chance. One afternoon, after a particularly boring day at kinder, she decided she would try out her Uncles tips. She approached her mother wearily, but straightened up after Artemis gave her absolute attention. Confident in what she was going to say, she gave a quick smile to her mum before beginning to talk in a nonchalant tone (with a little bit of Iris flair thrown in); "Mummy. I don't have school tomorrow."

She didn't say anything more, though she desperately wanted to, and looked at her mother as if she'd just explained Rocket Science in under a second. She felt rather smart, and she really didn't want to attend school the next day. Her mother raised an eyebrow, and smiled, before she could reply, however, Wally strode into the kitchen, holding a jar of Nutella. Iris decided that if she was going to fool one parent, she might as well fool the other. "Daddy. I don't have school tomorrow." He raised an eyebrow at his child, and gazed at Artemis. Iris crossed her fingers, she hoped this little lie would work- if she just pretended that she'd been given the message by her teacher, to pass onto mum and dad, it'd be fine.

Iris stood, in silence, beginning to slouch. She was afraid that maybe no one had heard her; if they had, they weren't responding, "So...yeah. No school for me tomorrow." She repeated, glancing at her parents. Wally stuck his hand into the Nutella jar and swaggered away from his girls to the sound of high-pitched crying (Jai had woken up). Artemis however, spoke, "I should hope not, darling." She took out a smaller tub of the choco-hazelnut spread and handed it to her daughter, smirking. This time Iris was the one to raise her eyebrow. Her lie had worked! They hadn't figured it out!

Of course, Iris was too tired, and too happy to realize that 'tomorrow', would be a Saturday.

**There we go guys.**

**So many reviews last chapter! Thank you! One of my amazing reviewers suggested that Wally and Artemis have another kid. I want to introduce Jai a bit more, have Iris and him grow up; and I don't wanna do that '3 years later' sort of thing, but after I've gotten back into the flow of things, and a few chapters have passed, do you want another baby to be introduced? Please do let me know if you review!**

**Oh...and please review. ;)**

**Thanks a billion,**

**-qlf**


	13. Mother's Day

Mother's Day

**It's been a while. I admit I've missed the writers lifestyle. Screwed up storyline's that keep you awake at night, times when you just HAVE to get up to jot something down though it's 3 in the morning, awkward trips when you don't have pen or paper and you take refuge with an ikea pencil and napkin...good times.  
**

**Enjoy**

Artemis was awoken from her dreams by a rather strange scent. It just smelt like smoke. _Smoke. _Her eyelids cracked open, and she sat up, creating a disaster of chain events. She had bumped into Wally, who had been leaning over her, he had doubled over, and fallen into Iris, who shrieked and threw the glass of orange juice (pitifully filled) that she was holding, onto the absorbent carpet. Jai began to cry; he didn't quite like havoc, even though he was a dynamic toddler.

Artemis apologised, rubbing her head, before fully taking in the room. Wally was holding a tray of food; burnt bacon, burnt sausages, even burnt egg. Iris had once been holding a drink, and now screaming Jai, was holding a quickly wrapped present. Balloons were thrown around in various spots near the bed, and a loose poster was splayed on the wall, reading (in Iris' messy writing) - 'Happie Mofers Day, Momma'.

Wally smirked, handing Artemis the tray of food, before speeding out of the room, and returning seconds later to clean up the mess the trio had created. Jai crawled up onto the bed, and threw himself into his mother's arms, shrieking in sudden delight. He placed the present into her hand, and clapped his own, obviously proud of what he had achieved. Iris rolled her eyes, but smiled, and moved Jai slightly out of Artemis' personal space. She herself placed a quick peck onto her mom's cheek. "Morning!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. Jai mimicked her, before rolling off the bed, resulting in tears. Artemis sighed, lifting Jai off the floor, and placing herself in her husband's arms.

Every morning started like this; sure, minus the breakfast in bed, but the waterworks and messes all came with the job. And Artemis loved her job more than anything else in the world. Wally knew this all too well, and sometimes he got jealous. Sure, there was a father's day, but that was later on. But Wally also had to work; Artemis also did, but she got amazing satisfaction, and joy from it, she got paid in love and hugs.

Jai shrieked, and wriggled out of Artemis' arms, before padding out of the room. Iris kept a close watch on her brother, craning her neck to catch sight of him just before he turned into his own room. Artemis glanced at her daughter, who sped out of the room, almost as fast as her father had done, when she heard a loud 'bumping' noise. The parents were too used to these noises by now; they knew Jai must have just walked into his wardrobe door; if it was anything bad, helpful little Iris would make it her mission to let the neighbourhood know. But for that moment, Wally and Artemis were alone.

He handed her the present, that she had yet to open, and chuckled, brushing hair out of her already exhausted face. "Thanks for everything, Babe." He stated, winking. Artemis rolled her eyes, and began unwrapping the present, tired of her husband's ever constant flirting. Tears started to well up in her eyes, as she laid them onto the gift from her family. A frame, with a collage inside it. Her favourite photographs; from the ultrasounds, to baby pictures, even photos of her wedding day. School photos, team photos, newspaper clippings of the Arrow family in action (even a few photos of Kid Flash, Wally West, here and there)...every important thing that had ever occurred, was in this gold embellished frame. Artemis clasped her hand around her mouth, unable to hide her amazement. Wally looked at his wife, unsure if he should continue- but his gut instinct led him on, as usual. "The kids did it...well, I bought the frame...and found the pictures, but they glued everything. The pink glitter was Iris' idea...I swear." He smirked, innocently watching Artemis look the gift up and down.

After Artemis had hung up the present, and eaten her food, she went down to the kitchen to fix something up for Iris and Jai; Wally shuffling by her side, looking suspicious. After a few minutes of his lingering, Artemis shooed his presence out of the room- she knew he only wanted the food she was cooking up. As he left, Iris galloped into the kitchen, sniffing the air. She stood on her tip-toes, and moved close to Artemis.

Looking down at her daughter, Artemis noticed her red-haired, silver eyed child had an air of secrecy about her. She twiddled her thumbs, and raised an eyebrow. Iris wanted to say something. Artemis was expecting an outburst of 'I love you', or maybe a declaration of meaning, however Iris didn't really aim to please; "Wally wanted the glitter on the photos, not me, I swear!" She sniggered and took off, Artemis only hearing Wally whine their daughters name in displeasure, as he walked back into the kitchen to smell the aroma of buttered toast.

Every day, was Mothers day for Artemis; because every day, she was a mother to two amazing child...maybe three if Wally could be counted.

**Hope you enjoyed. The next chapter is N- though I can't yet think of a title; I'm thinking Nokia, Nothing or Not Me. Help me choose?**

**If you have any suggestions for TITLES of future chapters (o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z) please let me know, though I feel I have a few of them sorted (q and x, actually)  
**

**Thanks for reading!  
**

**-Fish  
**


	14. Not Me!

Not Me!

**NEW CHAPTER! NEW CHAPTER! NEW CHAPTER! NEW CHAPTER! **

**Hope you enjoy a far more Jai centric chapter.**

The West family had recently become accustomed to a series of events. These events had surprised them when they had started; a crash or bang, followed by a shriek and Jai's panicked face popping up near the source, shouting, "NOT ME!" They weren't exactly sure where he had picked up the habit...or even the words, in fact, Jai had been a silent baby. He was nearly a year, and six months, and Wally and Artemis hadn't heard him so much as mumble up until the past few weeks ago.

"NOT ME!" Became Artemis' pride, she'd clap every time he said it...unknown to her, of course, that a certain event always occurred before the words. The two words left a crime scene after leaving the toddlers mouth, and unfortunately for Wally and Artemis, they had no idea until it was too late.

Iris had been begging Wally for something all her friends had for nearly a week, and Artemis knew Wally well enough; he couldn't say no to her for long. Within a week for her first pleasing session, Iris had received her heart's desire. A phone.

"But not just any phone," Wally stated, as he handed her a box containing the item, "This one...it's unbreakable! It's a super-phone!" Iris shook the box, and retrieved a fairly rectangular shape from it. She eyed it, before holding it out away from herself, as if it was a disgusting smell. "It's blue." Iris stated, scrunching up her nose.

Wally raised one eyebrow, and smirked; "I know...that's why I got..." he fumbled around in his pocket, before pulling out a square sheet, "STICKERS! PINK HELLO KITTY STICKERS!" Wally bit his lip, waiting for approval. Iris squealed and smiled, grabbing onto her father's leg, "Thanks Daddy."

She skipped out of the room, and began playing games on the almost brick. Artemis had witnessed the first event, and although she was mad that Wally had given in so easily, she could see he had something up his sleeve. He seemed to read her mind, as he sat down and began flicking through TV channels, "It's a Nokia, babe."

Two days passed, and Iris had decorated her new phone with happy-cat faces, and glitter. It was almost unrecognisable, and she loved it. Even Artemis admitted it would come in handy when they went out to the shops, shuddering as she remembered that fateful day when they had lost their daughter in the car-park.

But 'Happy-Smile-Cool-Phone', as Iris had christened her Nokia, didn't capture everyone's admiration. Iris left her phone on her bed, while she went out to play with Alice, her best-friend who lived across the road. Artemis was down-stairs, cooking second dinner and Wally was throwing a ball for Jai, who seemed uninterested, upstairs.

The tiny dynamo got agitated after a while, and bit into the ball, deflating it. His pupils dilated as he slowly lifted his head, to face his dad, "Not Me!" He shrieked out, crawling away from the room in panic. A sudden realisation dawned on Wally, as he held the flat ball in his hands. He didn't have much time to continue pondering the thought however, as a small crash, and flush of the toilet sounded...followed by, "Not Me!"

Wally staggered to his feet, and threw himself into the bathroom, where Jai stood, looking into the toilet. Wally lifted Jai away from the pot, and stared at the floating object within it. Wally backed away, his eyes bulging. He walked into Jai, who shrieked. "Artemiiissssss!?" Wally shouted, from his place near the door.

He heard his wife run up the stairs, and towards him. Wally couldn't speak, he pointed to the toilet before leaving the room, slowly, very confused. Artemis fished _it _out of the bowl, she glanced at Jai who giggled and crawled out of the room.

Iris' Nokia no longer turned on, and Wally was afraid of buying her another one, in case Jai found it again. However, Iris didn't react the way Artemis thought she would have, she was not angry- in fact she laughed and hugged Jai, "Daddy, I want an iPod." She stated, smiling.

Her appeal was interrupted, however. They heard a huge crash from the kitchen. Jai shrieked in happiness, and wobbled into the living room raising his hands, "Not Me!" He stated, laughing. Wally rolled his eyes, and Artemis collected the dust-pan and left for the kitchen, and Iris giggled, quickly resuming her pleading with her father.

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter is Open Sesame. Little bit of brother, sister love coming up. ;)**

**Review?**

**-Fish**


	15. Open Sesame

Open Sesame

**I'm actually quite proud that I got this done. I based Jai's talking off the little boy I baby-sit, so, ya know. Enjoy. ;)**

**Credit to Lilianna Rider for the chapter name. **

**I do not own Young Justice, I don't think i've said that in a while...**

Wally and Artemis flopped into bed. It had been a long Saturday, full of shopping, meeting with people and finishing reports for work, as well as caring for Jai and Iris, who had made it especially difficult for them.

Artemis dozed off without getting into her pyjamas, lying face down on the covers. Wally had to manoeuvre his way around her, as to not wake her up, while searching under the bed, in his drawers and in the bathroom for clean boxers. They'd been getting lazy with chores since Artemis had gone back to work full-time, and Jai was becoming a destructive child. As Wally stepped in some rather built up tooth-paste near the toilet, which smelt vile- they'd used it for Jai's training that day- he decided he would have to hire a maid...but not yet...he wanted to sleep first. Maybe he'd get round to it tomorrow? It was going to be a Sunday, he could sleep in...

He was wrong. It was five in the morning when Wally was abruptly awakened by first, very loud pattering foot-steps and giggles outside his door, and then when he heard shrieks and side-splitting laughter two doors away, in Iris' room. For a second, Wally just laid in bed, listening. He rubbed his bagged, green eyes, and yawned, hitting Artemis in the face with his fist as he stretched. She didn't stir; she just let out a quick sigh, and continued sleeping.

As the laughs grew quieter, they were replaced by angry tones, "You can't do that! You need the firggin' password!"

"Not Me!" Answered a shriek, which was followed by scampering, and angry grunts form Iris. Wally rolled out of bed, and slid on the floor for a moment, forcing himself to stand. Artemis opened one eye, reassured herself that Wally was going to do something, and fell asleep once more.

Wally didn't swear in front of his kids, nor did Artemis. In fact, they'd picked up annoying words to use instead, and used them so much, that couldn't even swear in front of their friends. 'Fudge, Ship, Carp-Fish, Duck and Holy Bamboozle had replaced the obvious words, even minor curses and cuss words had been replaced. He had no idea where Iris had picked up idioms for certain words from, but he wasn't too happy. And there were rarely times when Wally didn't think his daughter was the creator of all things good and Godly.

Wally cleared his throat outside his daughters door, which had slammed shut only moments before his arrival. Jai, trembling lip, watering eyes, teetered towards his father. Blubbering he pointed at the door, and looked at his dad with the saddest expression he could muster. Wally hoisted Jai off the floor, and held him eye level. "What's going on, buddy?" He asked, in a hoarse whisper.

Jai didn't even know what the words, 'volume control' meant, and he definitely couldn't use it, so he whimpered, and mustered all the words he knew into a somewhat coherent sentence, "Iris no let me!" He whined.

"No let you-" Wally sighed and corrected himself, "She didn't let you do what?"

Jai covered his face with his hands and sobbed, before staring up at his father once more, tears rolling down his apple- cheeks, "She password room! She password room!" Jai screeched and curled his tiny fists into balls, glaring at his sister's room. Wally heard a small giggle come from the other side of the door.

Wally knocked quickly, "Iris. It's Dad. Let me in." He received no reply, but heard quick footsteps, and bouncing into a rather springy bed. Wally grabbed the door handle, and tried to pry the door open, but he couldn't. He pushed furiously against it, grimacing. Jai had been put to the floor a few minutes before, and through he had leant against the door himself, mimicking his father, he stopped, and tugged on Wally's purple boxers. Wally exhaled deeply, and stared at Jai in question.

"It pull, Papa!" Jai giggled and clapped his hands, scampering around his father's legs. Wally held the crook of his nose. It couldn't be pull, he'd lived in the house for too long, he knew his daughters room like the back of his-

Artemis had stumbled into the hallway, and pulled the door open, "Iris, wakey-wakey, breakfast." She glanced at Wally, sighing, and picked up Jai, who placed a well-aimed peck onto her eyelid, "Morna, Momma!" He shrieked, as she carried him downstairs.

Iris ran to the door, stared at her father with wide eyes, and threw it closed once more. "Iris, that's not funny. You heard me, and your mother!" He hit the door with his fist multiple times.

"Password please!?" Iris asked, in her best put-on voice. She didn't sound much different- somewhat more articulated than usual, though.

"Pass-what the duck?" Wally hit the door again, and pulled. It didn't budge. For a moment, he thought Iris was holding it closed, but he heard rustling from the back of her room. "Iris, this isn't funny. Open the door, and get downstairs!" Again, his daughter called for the password, and padded around the room. "Uncle Nightwing and Aunt Zatanna put a magic lock on it!" Wally swore he felt Iris wink.

Artemis and Jai had finished breakfast, and strode up towards Wally. Artemis handed him a peice of toast, and smirked, "Me and Jai are going to-"

"Opa Sesma!" Jai cried, pounding his fists on Iris' door.

Artemis and Wally heard Iris giggle and stomp her foot, "No, Jai! Not Opa Sesma! Close but no go!"

Jai raised his hands in defeat, glancing at his mum and dad in shock, "She won' lema! I try cocking, and she no!"

Wally raised an eyebrow, and hid his face. Artemis sighed, "Jai, how many times did you _knock? _What won't Iris let you do?"

Jai frowned, and sighed. He'd obviously already explained himself. "IREY, LET IN! OPA! OPA!" He cried from his spot on the floor, towards Iris' door. Something in Wally's mind clicked at that moment, he strode to his daughters door, and smirked, "Open Sesame, Iris."

He heard Iris sigh. Wally had won. Even Artemis looked impressed, while Jai bit his lip in frustration. Iris pressed her face towards the door, "Sorry, Dad. Separate password for you, and Mum..." She giggled and bounced back to the centre of the room. Wally threw his hands up in aggravation, snorted and vibrated through the door. Artemis heard Iris squeal while Wally chased her around the room.

Jai rolled his eyes, at the same time as his mum, "He could na do tha numbah one?" He shook his head and glanced at his mum, who sighed and raised her eyebrows, "I know, Jai. I know. They're both very annoying...now let's go to swimming class!" Jai went rigid, and let his mum take him away, still listening to the excited screams and angry murmurs from his sister's bed-room. Iris' club seemed far more interesting to him, than the prospect of been thrown into a shallow pool.

**Did you like? Next chapter is Protection! **

**-Fish**


	16. Protection

Protection

**Guys, before I begin, do you have any questions you want, or feel, Iris could ask in the next chapter? You know, what questions could a 4/5 year old ask?**

**I can't belive I updated the wrong story! Sorry, I was updating last night, and mum told me to turn the laptop off and I quickly did it without checking. Urghhh! *hits self***

**Well- here it is. :?**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter- it has a different mood to what previous chapters had.**

**Credit to **xXRandomnessXx and SladeRavenFan

Jai drummed his plastic-spoon on the table. He was waiting for Artemis to bring him his food; mushy peas, mushy carrots and mashed potatoes- it took her a while to make the meal, Jai didn't yet run too fast...but he sure ate like a speedster. Artemis glanced at the ceiling; Iris was in her room above her. She had come home in tears, and sped to her room so fast Artemis couldn't even comprehend why. Jai gobbled down his food seconds after Artemis placed his tray in front on him. He squealed as Artemis lifted him out of the chair, and he waddled away from the kitchen, mumbling to himself. Artemis smirked, but turned serious as she heard Iris' loud sobs from upstairs.

She found herself instinctively walking up stairs, to her child, but was halted by a hand on her shoulder. Wally had just come home, his brown was furrowed and he glanced past Artemis, towards Iris' door. He glared at Artemis, "What happened?" Artemis shook her head, and glanced back to the door, sighing. Wally pushed past his wife, vibrated through his daughters door, and minutes later, threw open the door, red faced, "I swear he won't know what hit him", Wally snarled. Artemis looked panic stricken as Wally sped away. She ran into Iris' room; her daughter looked as shocked as she did.

That day, Iris had been bullied. It wasn't the first time; and Artemis had sorted the other times out on her own, by talking with Iris' teacher. Hurtful comments and arguments were to be expected; they were kids, at school for six hours in the same room. They'd obviously get tired of each other once in a while, but one boy and one girl had made it difficult for Iris since day 1. There was always that one girl who'd be horrible no matter what; and for Iris that came in the shape of Mel. A year older than everyone in class, she seemed to be followed by the weaker girls- and Iris, like her parents- was not a devotee. This made Iris and her friend Alice targets of Mel and her gang- but normally it was just hurtful comments.

The other bully, however, was why Wally had now left in a rage. His snarky comments about Iris' ginger hair and freckles, and the stereotypical comments about these features were an almost every day thing; Iris had learnt to brush them off. But today Tommy had gone too far. He'd well and truly hurt Iris, and Artemis was rooting for Wally- some part of her wanted to come and rip the kids face off herself,

Artemis waited for Wally to return. She waited hours- until four in the morning. By then she was aggravated. Jai couldn't sleep without his father kissing him good-night, and Iris was so worried for her dad, that she passed out. Artemis herself felt like she was going to faint; and she almost did, when Wally stumbled into the living room covered in cuts, bruises and blood.

His eyes were scrunched shut, his nose looked disfigured. One of his arms was hanging loosely by his side, and he had a limp. He also wore a very strange smile on his swollen lips. "That taught him a lesson." Wally stated, blinking hard. Artemis stood up; she was angry, but she wanted to help Wally out, wait for him to heal, before she hurt him all over again. "You didn't...do anything to the kid did..._did you_?" Artemis questioned her husband, who sunk into the couch, wheezing. He playfully winked, "Nope. I wanted to though."

Artemis raised an eyebrow at a time, "Then why are you-"

"His dad caught me when I picked the little twerp up off the floor and yelled at him." Wally chuckled slightly. Artemis looked less than impressed, "You could get arrested for that."

"For what? Yelling at a kid? His friggin' dad could get arrested! He punched me square in the jaw!" Artemis sighed, and rubbed her temples, "And you hit him back?" Wally nodded, holding his nose, which began gushing blood. Jai looked at his dad in horror, screamed and ran from the room. Artemis retrieved a towel from the cupboard and threw it at him with force, "Wally- you enjoyed it, didn't you?!"

Wally smirked, "Missed been a hero, I guess." He stopped Artemis, who had a look of hate on her face, "I know, I know. Heroism doesn't mean beating someone up- but at least I know the boy got a shock from seeing his dad get ruffled up. I and Mr Tucker could make it a weekly thing!" Wally threw his hands up and chuckled, wincing slightly.

Artemis rolled her eyes and helped Wally stagger out of the room. She had a strange look on her face as they entered the bedroom. Wally settled onto the bed- showing could wait, he was pooped. He waited for Artemis to come back from putting a traumatised Jai to bed, and felt his numb face. The look of glee had vanished, and was replaced by terror and confusion. The archer he had married strode into the room, hands on hips, wearing the same expression. Wally sat up, eye's wide, "I think...I think I wanna be a...a part of the team, again, Artemis. I wanna be Kid Flash..."

Artemis bit her lip, and shook her head, "That means I become a hero again too..."

The room was silent for a few minutes, and Wally began to laugh, "Who am I kidding? I have two kids!"

"As do I." Artemis offered, not amused, "But you make a good point." Wally glanced at Artemis, and patted a place by his side, "Don't I look hot with these battle scars, babe?" He asked, smirking. Artemis smiled playfully, "Haven't you done enough 'protecting' for one day?", She retorted,winking, "I think I'll sleep on the couch. The bed's soaked in blood."

**There you go. Out on a whim. **

**I'm really ill at the moment, so not sure when I'll update. I bit a part of my lip off after it was numbed, and it wrecked havoc. Got infected, and not feeling too much on the sunny side. To make matters worse, my boyfriend hasn't even bothered to talk to me in like 4 days. :/**

**Hope you enjoyed the story.**

**Review?**

**-Fish**


	17. Questions

**Chapter 17: Questions. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

Wally placed a sleeping Jai into his alabaster-cream cot. The boy made a small noise of discomfort, before snuggling into his blue blanket. Iris watched from the doorway, while Wally brushed a kiss onto Jai's forehead. He lingered for a moment, surveying his son. Apple cheeks, button nose and already freckled arms and legs. His dull-green eyes were shut tight.

Wally strode away from Jai, and picked up a few scattered objects on his floor; the book they had been reading a few hours back, a stranded sock, some blocks and bears, flakes of cereal (which he contemplated popping into his mouth, but decided against). He folded a blanket on the rocking chair in the corner of the room; Jai would usually use this one, but it was slightly too hot for woollen-padded covers. He opened the window in Jai's room, briefly inspecting the fly-screen which stood out- black against cream. Jai's blue curtains slightly swayed in the summer breeze, which Wally sucked in. He glanced at the cat-clock on Jai's wall- nearly midnight.

He sighed, Artemis wouldn't be coming home. She hadn't been home for weeks, and he even pessimistically thought that she would never return; though he knew she would. She'd been gone with work for two weeks, and the day before she was set to arrive home, she'd been called to an undercover mission with the team. Wally would've jumped at the offer to go; but he couldn't leave Jai and Iris alone.

Iris. He spotted her in the doorway, flaming hair and tired eyes staring at him. She grinned- one of her lips had a cut down the side of it; she'd fallen off her bike the day before. Wally noticed that Iris' hair was far thicker than he remembered it being- even bushy, to an extent. Perhaps it was the haircut she had received. Uncle Nightwing's expertise didn't stop at fighting crime and charming ladies. He strode over to his daughter, hoisted her up, and made his way to her room.

It wasn't _messy, _but it was full of clutter. Old toys, new toys, games, books and colouring-pencils were splayed across the carpeted floor. It was different to Jai's 'cool-themed' and 'modern' room. Iris' was bright- pinks, oranges, yellows; it didn't really have a plan to it. Her bright green curtains contrasted with the pink walls and orange rug near her bed. Wally placed his daughter into her queen-sized single. He hoped this wooden-frame work would last all Iris' life at the West home- he was down on money, and Artemis' pay hadn't arrived. He had about $100 for the rest of the month, and that would cause MAJOR problems when bills arrived. He sat down on the edge of Iris' bed. Iris was grown up enough to put the blanket over herself.

Wally tried to take his mind off the horrible situation he was in, and he thought talking to his dearest little girl would help. "Up for a run tomorrow?" He asked, stifling a yawn. Iris shrugged and chewed on her lip. Wally sighed, and met her eyes with his own, "Up for a game?" Iris shut her eyes, smiled and nodded slowly. Wally reminisced about something much like this he had done a year or so ago. "Ask me questions, and I'll answer." Wally whispered, looking out to the hallway; he didn't want to wake Jai.

Iris wasn't a stupid child, but she was stubborn and somewhat blunt- forgetting to consider things before she said them half the time. It had come with age, and watching the way Wally dealt with situations, "When is mom coming home?" Iris asked innocently, covering her mouth with her hand as she yawned. Wally swallowed, and looked down at his feet- she never quite got the timing right for these sorts of questions, but Wally would never leave without giving answers, "Soon, Iris. Soon." He stated, trying to be confident. Iris raised an eyebrow, she somewhat registered that her father was unhappy, and sunk more into her mattress. "How about you try...a _diverse_ question." Wally suggested, holding his palms up to look positive.

"Diverse?" Iris scrunched up her nose, "As in different cultures and stuff?" Wally exhaled very loudly, somewhat annoyed. Sometimes he forgot how young his daughter really was, but before he could reply, she was talking. "Why don't all fish die when lightning hits the sea?" Wally smirked. Science- Yeah! Iris sat up slightly, glancing at her father, who was trying to think of the correct way to word his answer; "Okay- take cordial as an example. You pour a teeny amount into a teaspoon- it would be very bright, like in the bottle. If you poured that teaspoon, let's say, into a bath FULL of water, it would spread and disappear. Lightning is the same- it hits the water, spreads out and becomes harmless. The shock is so small, the fish don't feel it." Iris looked at her father in awe- he's never explained something, so...well...confusing to her. Normally she was just left more puzzled- she knew that when she'd asked her mother the answer had been silly- she could sense it...but this, it made sense! Her eyes lit up and she smiled, getting onto her knees, she was excited to ask another question. Wally's whole demeanour changed- his sadness dissolved, and he was impressed himself that Iris understood.

Iris rocked back and forth for a second, trying to think of something else to ask. Her hair waved with every rock back, and her mouth was a line in concentration. Wally couldn't help but laugh, and he placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. The moment was stopped, however, as Jai emitted loud whimper. Iris dropped back down into bed, and Wally hurried out of the room to check on him. He was surprised when he tip-toed back into Iris' room, that she was still awake, arms-crossed, "Why does Jai never leave me, or you, or momma alone?" She looked angry- of course, Wally could see why- they'd been having father/daughter time, something which happened rarely since Jai arrived. Wally sighed, and placed himself next to him daughter on the bed, "Well- Jai's still young. All of us like having people around, and we like helping others- but if we feel unhappy, it's hard to do. People who annoy others are not happy- Jai was bored, and alone- he was unhappy, that's why he can't leave us alone for too long. He's still too little to understand. Honestly, Iris, it's good to be brave, put on a smile, and help him- that way, when he's older, when you need his help, or when you don't want to leave his side- he won't be mad."

Iris nodded, though she still looked aggravated. Wally placed a hand to her face, and began playing with her straight locks. Iris began to calm down, even to the extent of having her eyelids droop- but after a few moments of been tranquil, she piped up; "Why don't birds die when they sit on the electrical wires outside?"

Easy answer. This Wally still had fresh in his mind. He explained that there needed to be a way to touch the ground, the wires were only dangerous if you were holding them, and were also touching the ground, or touching something which was planted on the ground. Iris looked happy with the answer- but them her face changed.

"Daddy...I miss Spike- why did God let him die?" After Spikes wonderful long-life, he had passed away. Of course, Wally and Artemis hadn't bluntly told their daughter he was dead, it was more one of those 'he's on holiday' things, but Iris had worked out that he had died after not 'hearing' from him for a while. Wally sighed; he missed his dog too- dearly. He had contemplated numerous times buying another one, so Jai could experience the joy of having a pet, alongside Iris- but he'd been so busy, and Artemis had said 'no' so many times, he hadn't put much more thought into it for a while. "No-one knows, but you know you care. Iris, the important fact is, if animals lived forever, there would be no room for any other animals." He thought through what he was saying, but the heart-breaking look on his daughters face pushed him to the limit, "There would be no room for new baby puppies and kittens in shelters, which are lonely. What would be better- being selfish and letting him be poorly forever, or letting him be happy without us?" Iris nodded, and looked to the floor, tears brimming, "You know- about the puppies in the shelter, which are lonely- maybe, we could go tomorrow, and make one happy- Spike wouldn't mind." Wally added at the end, as a look of 'what if we're replacing him' flashed onto Iris' face.

Iris smirked, and shut her eyes, "Why is water wet? Why does Alice have two dads?"

Wally was tired. His eyes were shutting by themselves, and the room was spinning. His muscles ached, and he swore he heard Jai whimpering again- but he couldn't leave Iris without answers, he refused to do so. He hadn't slept in a week- juggling house-work, normal work-work and caring for two rapidly growing children on his own was harder than he had ever imagined. He tried to raise his pounding head from Iris' mattress, but was stopped by a glorious sound, "Water is wet as it's just the right temperature- well, for starters, it's a liquid, which proves this, and for seconds- if it was too cold it would turn to ice, a solid, and if it would become too hot, for any reason, it would become steam. A gas. And about Alice's parents? Love comes in all packages, Iris. Two men, and two women, can fall in love too. The important thing is that both love their child- just like me and Daddy love you." Wally must've been dreaming, Artemis couldn't be stood in the doorway- it was impossible.

But there she was, covered in mud and grime- smiling. She had a fair share of bruises dotting her bare skin, and cuts and scars made their way across and around her body. She was holding a laughing Jai, who was pulling on Artemis' hair- which, to a gut-wrenching feeling in Wally's stomach, was cropped short. Iris shot out of bed, into her mother's arms. Wally stood, slowly. Artemis' placed Iris and Jai to the floor, they were chatting and laughing, and clinging to her dirty-legs. Wally felt water running down his face- just the right temperature to form tears. He became weak at the knees; he ran to Artemis- and cried. He was shouting, and laughing and crying. Through sobs and laughs and hiccoughs, he glanced at Artemis, who seemed to be doing the same; "Don't you EVER leave me again. Understood?" The question was clear, but Artemis' answer was crystal as she pulled her children and husband to herself, wailing.

Never again would she leave all those unanswered questions without answers, actually, Artemis highly doubted whether she'd leave anything again!

**There you go, thanks for waiting so long.**

**I haven't seen my boyfriend in two days and I already miss him like hell- there's this unquenchable sickness in my stomach, and I can't stop thinking about him- I cry when I think about what Wally must've felt either through this story, or in the show- or what all those families who are separated in one way or another must feel. **

**Please review,**

**Nearly 2000, I reckon this was a pretty long chapter. I'm quite happy that I managed to chug it out of my system. The next chapter is Rain; though I can't remember who requested said chapter, I know it was via PM- if you're reading, I'm so sorry, but can you please let me know who you are so I can credit you for the idea- you spoke to me about how your family would play out in the rain when you were younger?**


	18. Rain

**Hi!**

**Wow! So many positive reviews last chapter! Thank you guys, they really helped me through my tough time- I was considering whether I should continue on my writing journey, and moping about certain things!  
If you recognise this idea as yours, please let me know, as I remember clearing a PM about one and their family...it was something to do with the rain. I don't wanna give too much away, but please PM me so I can credit you!**

**Without further wait- Chapter 18! Enjoy!**

Since Artemis' last business trip and unscheduled team mission, she'd become far more laid back, and far more prepared to have fun. She'd left her job, leaving Wally to be the working-father; stressed, but blooming in his occupation. Artemis, usually the one to run around the house with disinfectant and band-aids, going to the supermarket to buy only the healthiest foods for her children, and under no circumstances putting them in danger, had begun to let loose more.

Wally wasn't unhappy when she brought a bag of burgers home from a shopping trip. She stated, "I'm too tired to cook," but Wally knew his wife well...and he knew she was trying to make an effort. Iris had eaten burgers before (Uncle Nightwings expenses and day trips which were a secret from Artemis), but was utterly flabbergasted to find a pile of the very same she had eaten the week before in _her _house...under her _mother's _roof. She eyed them suspiciously- almost scared to take one. She wasn't too sure if this was a carefully thought out trap by her Mother's needle-work, or if it was just a test of will-power. She cautiously lifted one from the porcelain on the table, gently gripping in, as if any strenuous pressure would make it explode, or send fire-works into the air alerting Artemis. As the scent of grease and beef filled the nostrils of the ever-hungry Iris, however, all thoughts of punishment disappeared, and she swallowed the treat whole.

Jai, who had been watching his sister, shrieked, and hoisted himself onto a stool by the table, greedily grabbing two burgers; one for each hand. He began to chew the bread; carefully avoiding the meat in the middle...he saved the tomato-sauce dripping, cheese covered patty for last. He clapped as the second one was gone within minutes.

But burgers that day hadn't been the only thing Artemis had allowed. Around five that hazy summer afternoon, after hanging up the washing, she sighed as she noticed the rain beginning to patter down in the garden. Rain had always been something she had loved; whether it there to carefully wash away blood from a mission in her younger days, or to passionately kiss Wally under. Artemis loved the fresh-smell it forget to take with itself when it would calm down, she adored how refreshing and cool it felt against her after been cooped up in a hot house all day.

Her mother had taught her that rain brought colds to children, and she hardly ever went out when it began to pour. She had passed this lesson to her own brood, and she had started preaching it from the day of Iris' birth. Artemis _NEVER_ went against anything she preached...but today, she had been _wild_. She'd bought something unhealthy, she hadn't tidied up the dishes straight after washing them, and Iris room was still a mess. She sniffed the strong scent of the grass; it had recently been mown by Wally, and it stung her eyes as the rain began to hit it more and more frequently.

She crossed to the laundry, and stood for a moment, under the pattering shower. She let it work its way through her hair, which had recently been cut-short. She hated, to an extent, how it felt. Before, her hair had been a waterfall for Wally to caress and sing about- now it was an odd pixie bob, which made her feel under-covered and insecure. She knew it made her look more mature, but part of herself missed the odd rebellion and protection that came with her old locks, no matter how hard they were to brush and keep clean. Artemis shut her eyes, and the rain trickled down her face, becoming one with the silent tears she was shedding for her lost virtue.

It slithered, effortlessly as a snake, down her neck, onto her clothes and to her bare feet. It fell harder, and faster...and she embraced it. Artemis was practically inhaling the rain, just giving herself a silent moment. She hardly expected the tug at her shirt, which knocked her away from her tranquillity. Iris, wearing her boots and carrying an umbrella watched her mother nervously. She bit her lip, "You'll catch a cold." She stated. Artemis laughed and gently laid the umbrella on the ground, taking Iris' small freckled fingers. Iris must've thought her mother was mad, and the odd look in her eyes gave away how frightened she was- maybe this was the test she had been waiting for, maybe her mother was going to catch her out now- rebelling against something Iris knew was _wrong._

Iris was stiff as her mother led her onto the soaking grass- the rain was coming down in blasts now, accompanied with cold wind. _"I'll regret this later."_ Artemis reminded herself as she began to sway Iris by her hands left and right. She shut her eyes, and stuck out her tongue. Iris soon did the same, smirking. Rain didn't taste like frogs or pond water at all- at least Iris hoped not! It tasted just like tap water did! Iris pirouetted on the spot, watched over by her mother, who raised her own arms into the air, and spun. Iris heard frantic footsteps and noticed herself been raised into the air- the rain was hitting her harder than before. She shrieked and opened her eyes. Wally was holding her, nervous. His eyes darted to Artemis, who was watching him.

In a matter of seconds, Wally was spinning Iris in the air, and as soon as she hit the floor, his shoes and socks were off, and he was doing the same to Artemis, who screamed in glee. As her feet brushed the grass, she reached over to Wally, running her red hands through his matching hair, which was dripping. They shared a moment they hadn't given each other in a while- a kiss under the rain. Iris watched, half-disgusted, half-elated, and let Jai (who was watching by the door) join her in holding hands and spinning around in circles in the garden.

Wally lifted Jai into the air, throwing him- once, twice, six times, catching his with ease as the boy squealed and squeaked happily, roaring with laughter. Artemis and Iris had once more returned to dancing. A clap of thunder made Jai's happy noises soundless. Artemis put her arms down, Iris froze, and Wally tightly held onto his son.

The four exchanged looks as Wally carefully placed a coated and warmly wrapped up Jai onto the grass- he'd taken off his own jacket and bundled his boy into it- the last thing Jai needed was pneumonia. As soon as all eyes had met, Artemis' face cracked into a grin, Iris jumped into the air, and Wally took Jai's hand into his own. Jai clasped his fat fingers over his mothers first two, and held on tight, and as soon as Iris was done jumping, Wally grabbed her hand too. Artemis entangled her fingers into Iris' and the four made a small circle. Wally and Artemis raised their children by their hands, swinging them, and then the four began to spin!

_It's Raining, It's Pouring!_

Another clap of thunder sounded, and a fork of lightning illuminated the ominously dark sky. Jai shrieked, but the arms that held him continued to spin, and soon his laughs began to sound over the regular bursts of boom and rumble.

_The old man is snoring!_

Wally laughed as Iris forced the spinning into the opposite direction, he joined her in the silent struggle, and soon the four were spinning very, _very, _fast. Artemis shut her eyes and let the rain pour over her, trying to ignore how dizzy she was.

_He went to bed, and bumped his head!_

The chain of events begun, and Artemis could barley comprehend them. Her wet hands un-grasped Iris' bare fingers, and Wally's did the same. She stumbled to the floor, covering herself in dirt and earth, as Wally crushed a few unfortunate snails in his fall. Jai landed with a small thud onto the grass beneath him, soon raising his head and giggling. Iris flung onto the glass, and slid across it, without control- her plastic-fabric rain-coat not helping her bring the ordeal to an end. Artemis raised herself from her puddle, and glanced at her hands- so dirty, it looked as if the hands had actually absorbed some of the earth. Wally ran to Jai, who squirmed, but laughed, and Iris got up, only a small bruise on her arm to prove she had ever had anything to do with the fall...or so she thought...

_And he couldn't get up in the morning!_

The next day, Wally, red-nosed and dull-eyed, was woken by his ringing phone. He barely had time to register a blurred voice on the other end telling him he was late. His eyes popped open, he looked at the time. It was a Monday. It was twelve o'clock...and if Artemis hadn't woken him then...

He glanced at his sleeping wife next to him. She was red with a fever, and shivering. Wally grimaced, "Maybe we had a bit _too much _fun." He stated, rubbing his forehead. Iris stumbled into the room coughing, and sniffing snot up her nose, and so hard, it was probably reaching her brain. She wiped her nostrils, right before sneezing, and Wally heard, almost in reply, a sneeze from Jai's room. He rolled his eyes, maybe Artemis _first _judgement, was the _best _judgement. Either way, he was fully aware the family would probably never dance in the rain again...and do the far wiser thing, of taking shelter from the storm.

He glanced out of his window, the world outside sparkling; trying to recover from the huge amount of summer rain it had received. He groaned as he noticed something rather annoying in the garden, and nudged Artemis, despite his common sense telling him not too, "The washing's still on the line, babe."

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Review?**


	19. Speed Of Light

Chapter 19 Speed of Light

**Such wonderful reviews and feedback! Thanks everyone!  
I was quite excited for this chapter, really, but now I've written it...*rubs back of head* Haahha, we'll see...**

**Please Enjoy and Review- tell me how to improve too; I promise I won't be mad!**

Artemis could barely keep up. She panted and threw her bag to the floor as soon as he'd done a runner. She thanked God that she had dragged Wally to come to shopping with her that day; Jai had been getting out of hand for the past few weeks. His resolute crawling had slowly but surely become pattering footsteps not too long ago...but now, those little chubby feet of his were determined to take things one _step _further.

Artemis knew the speedster genes were in her children; but she had only ever been shown this fact through the way her son ate (of course, she had discovered Iris could run a while back). Now, however, that cursed trait, had found its way into her one year and something boy. And toddler years were already the hardest!

Jai sped away from his mother, and down the left-hand side aisles; and almost too luckily, Wally was picking milk in the very spot when Jai ran into his legs. A few shoppers gave odd looks to a puffing Artemis as she reached her husband and son. Iris strode up to the three within seconds holding a new toy, which she _most certainly_ needed. The majority of the glares, however, were directed at Jai. Everyone knew toddlers were hardly co-ordinated, and quite slow (and fast to fall) - but this plump, snub nosed, strawberry-blonde boy had just run at least 10 miles an hour, which was one heck of an achievement for someone his age. Wally rolled his eyes, and held Jai by the arms, reminding him not to run, before placing him into the shopping trolley. Artemis moaned, clutching her side. She wasn't looking forward to going to the park with him, and only him, that afternoon.

* * *

As two' o clock drew nearer, Artemis could barely keep hold of her son. She would give him a snack on the way back from the park, which they hadn't even set out to at that moment- Wally and Iris were getting ready for their own rendezvous. Jai was shaking his leg up and down, and frantically looking around the room. Artemis could only imagine how slow everything went for her son, if he was anything compared to Wally- which he most certainly was.

Jai clambered off his stool and sped towards his mother, wrapping his arms around her thighs. He almost knocked her to the floor, but she was caught by a rather solid...wall...or more likely, a Wally. He pried Jai away from Artemis, and looked at him sternly in the eye, "Jai. You don't have everything under control yet. Just take a deep breath, and calm down. Okay?" Wally cocked his head to the side, waiting for a reply. Jai bobbed his head quickly up and down, before looking shocked and slowing, repeating the process, "I bored, Dadda!" He squirmed on the spot, and let his green eyes meet his father's identical ones- they looked annoyed. Artemis chuckled, and lifted her son from the floor. She lightly tapped him on the nose with her finger, and smirked, "That's why we're going to the park, Buddy." She dropped him into his pram, and tightly buckled him. The last thing she wanted was for her son to master escape-artistry in the ten minutes it took to stroll to the playground.

Wally watched Artemis weave her way out of the house with Jai, turning once to wave, "I'll give you a call when I'm home." She blew a kiss to him, followed by a nervous laugh as Jai waved frantically too. "I can handle him!" She promised, as she disappeared from view behind the corner of the street. Wally sighed, and crossed his fingers, before returning back into the house with his hands on his hips. "Iris, you ready?" He shouted to the stairs directly in front of him.

He was met by a rumbling sound and the appearance of his daughter in front of his face, on the second step. She was getting faster...which was kind of why Wally had decided to do what he had planned. She looked his daughter over. Her red hair, slightly curled at the ends, popped out over a yellow cowl was in bunches. The cowl was much like his own, back when he was in the business, only the centre of Iris' was red. Her spandex costume followed the same design- yellow, with a thick red stripe going down the middle in the shape of a lightning bolt. She beamed, and Wally pulled her to his chest proudly. Her emerald eyes shone, and she pushed free of her father, posing for him in various heroic positions, ending with the classic- one hand on hip, the other in the air. She'd obviously been looking at too many of Wally's old photos. He winked, and squeezed her shoulder, retreating from view, and returning within minutes, in his original Kid Flash outfit. Iris squealed and bit her nails in anticipation, "This is all so cool!" She was almost shaking as she clapped her hands and made her way towards the front door. Having turned six the week before, Iris was considered a fully fledged child by Wally.

Wally, however, frowned and ran his hand through his hair. Iris lost her sense of excitement, her eyes bulged and her mouth twitched downwards. She knew this look anywhere. He had changed his mind. He had been promising her ever since she could talk that when she was old enough, they would go for a quick patrol, and stop by the Justice HQ to meet some of the newer generation of heroes, and catch up with the older ones. Iris had always marvelled at the stories Wally had told her in immense detail, with commentary from her mother when things got too wild, or too unrealistic. She had dreamt of the day when she could fight crime, with her dad of course, she wasn't really a realist, she didn't care about the dangers- she could run, and she could shoot one hell of an arrow. Iris placed her red quiver over her shoulder, an unwavering look on her face. The arrows wobbled in their box. Iris clenched her jaw and fists.

Wally _was _having second thoughts. Sure, he'd promised Iris, but he'd never really set a date. Sure, Artemis had said yes- she obviously trusted her husband, but Wally couldn't wobble the feeling of dread which was filling him to the brim. What if something happened? What if Iris wasn't accepted? What if she got hurt? Wally locked his jowl, of course he couldn't allow anything of the sort- but he didn't want to take the risk. Iris was still his baby. She was still a little girl, who only that morning had asked for several Barbie dolls and stuffed toys. She had Artemis' attitude, and had been shooting arrows since she could pick one up; trained by the greats- not only her mother, but by her Poppa Ollie, and Uncle Roy. She could run, and she did so regularly with Wally- she herself couldn't spot the difference of regular runs from patrolling. But she was so fragile...and yet almost too brave, too prepared to take risks- this fact probably scared Wally the most.

Wally shook the nervous feeling he had away from himself, but as hard as he tried, a part still remained. He knew if he said no, Iris would cry and probably hate him...but sometimes no was the right thing. Wally gave a sad look to his daughter, who shook her head. Her lip quivered, and her hand shook...she was starting to..._vibrate? _She had already put her molecules through her quiver in her attempt to step back. Wally jolted upwards, a look of glee on his face. He placed his hands square onto his daughters shoulders, and she stopped, a look of surprise plastered onto her features, "I-I did it!" She hollered, throwing her hands up.

Wally had to think on his feet, "You've past the test!" He stated, smirking. Iris' happy expression swiftly rolled its eyes. Iris' lips became a thin line, much like Artemis' did when she became annoyed. "Anyways. You can't go." Wally mumbled, and walked back towards the steps. He gave a look back to his daughter. Her mouth was agape, and she had dropped her quiver. Wally turned, to face her- been rather sneaky and mean at the same time. He sighed, wondering whether he would regret what he was about to say, "You can't go...until you pick a name." Iris shook her head slowly, keeping her mouth open, "A what?" She managed to stammer out, not blinking once since been told she couldn't...her features melted into a grin. SHE COULD GO! She hopped up, and did a small dance. Wally exhaled, "Mine's Kid Flash...I guess." The name seemed rather unfitting, but he couldn't exactly become 'Flash'. He couldn't bring himself to do it...not after...

Wally was brought back to the world by Iris jumping up and down, "I got one!" She stated, circling her finger around her mouth, highlighting her smile. Wally brushed a stray tear from his eye, and smirked, "Go for it, Rissy."

Iris seemed appalled by the nick-name, and crossed her arms. She shook it off quickly, however, and got back to the matter at hand, "Impulse." Now it was Wally's lips' turn to become a thin line- he'd never been a fan of his second cousin, once removed. But Iris didn't even know Bart; she couldn't judge- the world had yet to have Bart in the spotlight, even. "I was thinking Flash Girl...or-or Kid Flash...but that one's taken. And Flash Girl is like, a stereotypical name."

"An axiom." Wally corrected, "A cliché even." Wally shook his head; names seemed hard to come by. Iris shrugged, and gazed at her father, "So is that a no to Impulse? I mean we could do Bolt, Flash Jr, Speedy-Girl, Hustle even? I don't know- Fast Kid, Swifty, Quick-Kid, Super-Awesome-Fast-Happy-Cool-"Her names began to meld into each other, and this reminded Wally all too much of Bart. He sighed, and raised his hands in defeat, "It's Impulse for now, I guess..." He bit his lip as Iris cheered and punched the air. "I mean, we could look for synonyms and-"

Iris was already out of the door, and down the road. It took Wally longer than usual to catch-up, as he swore angrily. Even at his age, he didn't want his cover blown, and speeding out of his home in full costume, wasn't likely to take him off 'Suspect Number One List.'

* * *

It was around seven when Iris and Wally arrived home- out of breath and cheering. Artemis eyed them suspiciously, but that look turned to dread as she spotted Wally's face. She rushed over to him, to wipe blood from his forehead. It was bruising badly, and a cut streaked across it, and down to his cheek- it wasn't exactly easy to hide, though Wally was trying to pat down his hair to avert attention. She glanced at Iris' face after she had cleaned up Wally, but was far more shocked when she spotted the child's knees- red with blood and cuts, and cracked to an unforgivable mess. Iris smirked, "Mom! It was sooooo sweeeeettt!" She punched the air, and laughed, and Wally joined in. Artemis, however, was furious. She snarled, and put a bit too much pressure onto her daughters knees while cleaning them; "You are never to leave on patrol again. Ever. You will not be allowed to even _skip_ outside of this house. _Wally_, I will never allow _you_ to endanger _my_ child again! And I would like for _you, _to _explain..._"

She growled, and sent a cold stare to her husband, who had a strange grin plastered on his face. Iris raised her palms, smirking, "I'll explain!" She shuffled on the counter, and gave a faltering look to her dad, who looked dangerously ungainly.

"We went to patrol, and nothing happened the first time round." She raised a hand to stop her mother, who was about to interject, "And then we stopped by HQ! I met a few of the new heroes, introduced my self- I'm Impulse, by the way." She stated. Artemis sent a wary look towards Wally, who sneered, "So then, we _totally_ had a party! We got pizza- and LIAN came! Of all people! Uncle Roy joined her, and we played scrabble for a bit! Oh My Gosh- best part came afterwards though; Uncle Nightwing paid me a visit! Wally spoke with THE BATMAN, mom, THE BATMAN! And Changeling came to play Wii with me after an hour and a bit! Then we had juice! And THE BATMAN poured me some." Iris shrieked, "THE BATMAN, MOM!"

Artemis rolled her eyes; she hadn't really caught much her daughter had said, due to how fast it had poured out of her mouth. Iris continued, "So then we _totally_ saw Uncle Conner! And he was so happy to see me! And so HE poured me juice too! And then we left. The end." Iris scuttled off the counter, and ran towards the door, hissing slightly as she jolted her knees, which she was aware would rapidly heal. Artemis stopped her with a single look, "NOT, The end, Missy. Where did you get hurt?"

"We-erm-decided to run through Gotham on the way back...and-" Artemis raised her hand to stop her daughter, she didn't want to hear another word- they'd run into some crazy cretin, who probably wielded a knife, scared her daughter stiff and had fought Wally after shoving Iris away.

Iris continued, through lack of better judgement, to somehow (and Artemis was almost one hundred percent certain) confirm her mother's fears, "And on the way back to central...Kid Flash...I mean, Daddy, he tripped, and_ seriously_, FLEW into a pole! And I skidded to a stop...and kinda, well...hurt my knees after not doing it right." Wally shone a toothy grin towards Iris as she left the room; no way was he going to let Artemis know that his daughter was part of the team now, and that she was a Flash- an Impulse.

Artemis blew air out of her nose, and smirked, strolling up to Wally, "She grew up fast." She stated, smirking. Wally nodded, "Too fast...but, she's a speedster baby!" Artemis playfully punched Wally's arm, and bit her lip, "She'll be starting high school, and going to Uni in a _flash_...and getting married, and having kids-"

Wally looked at Artemis, suspicion and surprise on his face, which he shook left and right, "Then the guy who knocked her up will be _dead in a flash_. I'll give you that." Artemis frowned, and hit Wally over the head with a tea towel. Iris rolled her eyes from the door-way, "Kids? Marriage? _SCHOOL?_ No way- Mom, I'm Impulse. I'll just be a hero forever. Just like you two are to me." She smirked, and made her way back to her room for the umpteenth time that day. Artemis sniffled, and Wally laughed. Iris could think fast AND was a charmer- she was the perfect speedster.

**There you go. Hope you enjoyed this lengthy read. **

**The only aliases I could find that Iris had in the comics were Impulse and Kid Flash, sorry guys. It may change if ya'll hate it. **

**Review?**

**-Soph**


	20. Two

**Two**

**Thanks again for all the lovely reviews! They mean so much! I love feedback- don't leave me hanging**

**Not too excited for this chapter, as I'm so tired after a week in the city. Urgh...walking sucks. Boyfriend broke up with me, so I'm a bit down, sorry if this comes across in my writing, and sorry if I took a while to upload. **

**Anyways, the original title 'teeth' was produced by thefayzqueen, so thank you, but then I got a huge idea, and this chapter was born!**

**Enjoy!**

He gracelessly clapped his hands and puffed his cheeks, imitating what his father was showing him. He blew a rather feeble gust- but as he turned to Wally in frustration, which had only moments ago been happiness, Artemis put out the candle with stealth like quality and precision. Wally pointed, and Jai squealed in delight, "Appie Birday!" He screamed as he hit his hands against the table, laughing. Iris smirked, and pushed herself closer to the cake, watching her mother cut it. She was trying to take her attention away from the seven screaming toddlers on the carpet behind her- Artemis had thought it was a good idea to invite her own friends from Jai's play group over for his second birthday- and so far all they had done was cry, giggle and poop. It dawned on Iris that Jai had developed far quicker than these kids had; even though they all had full-sets of teeth, and Jai only had four.

Jai placed an affection kiss on his mother's cheek as she passed him a slice of cake. He gave his father a rather hard pat on the arm at the same time. Wally frowned, but decided to act against saying anything; Jai would explode in a fit of tears and hiccoughs, something that Artemis would murder everyone for. She was so stressed, in fact, that she hadn't even acknowledged Jai's peck to her cheek...and Jai began to cry. Iris rolled her eyes, and took three pieces of cake, leaving the room, to eat in peace. Wally placed a hand to Jai's arm, which was shrugged off, and met by more screaming. Apparently, crying was what Jai was destined to do, because for the past few weeks, his red face wouldn't be seen without tear-stains and his mouth wouldn't open without bringing a shriek to surface. Wally had been cursed with a migraine due to this, and it was so lengthy and painful, that he had adapted to it; it didn't annoy him, with its constant pounding on the inside of his skull, but it was ever present.

As soon as Artemis jiggled a new, almost neon toy before Jai's water-filled eyes, however, he stopped his bawling, grabbed the hanging object, and continued to look it over, taste it, and even listen to it for the next five minutes while Artemis shovelled cake into his mouth, past his fat lips. Jai tried to shrug this action off and lifted his bright green fork from his tray, impaling the small chocolate morsels, attempting to stick them into his mouth. He had dropped the toy by that moment, concentrating far too much on eating.

By the time Jai had managed to cover himself in chocolate-war-paint, he was thrown into the midst of children he somewhat knew. They all cowered or stood their ground near their parents. Jai sat in the centre, playing on his own, alongside the guests. After an hour or so, Artemis bid the families goodbye. It wasn't yet twelve thirty, but she was pooped. Jai didn't care in the slightest that they were gone, and rushed around the room; hyper from the cake.

His good mood lasted seconds, as per usual. He was crying, and then in his room, before Wally could blink. And he was asleep faster than Wally could even comprehend what had happened.

Artemis heaved a sound of relief out of her system, and began cleaning the table while Iris mopped the floor by her side. Wally cocked his head, and rushed to get the vacuum from the garage. The party had gone too fast; as had two years. He could barley believe two years ago, he'd had his hand crushed by Artemis, while she heaved and screamed, begging for Jai to hurry up and 'get out'. He laughed as he remembered her yells, and little comments- they hadn't hurt him at the time, and they didn't hurt him now...but he was fully aware that in any other circumstance, he would have ripped out his heart just to act out what Artemis was putting him through. Wally plugged the sucking machine into the wall, and began lazily dragging it around the living room, watching bits of fluff and chunks of cake fly into the nozzle in his hands. He hated the job, but someone had to do it.

For a moment, he almost compared his act to parenting, but he couldn't finish his thoughts. Yes, sometimes his brood drove him mad, but he loved every second of been a father. He could still see every milestone his children had ever reached perfectly clearly in his mind; losing teeth, growing even a centimetre taller and even facing horrific tantrums.

First words and walks stood out in many-a-parents minds, as did hospital visits. But Wally still shook as he remembered TWO hospital visits, far from the happiness that the original birth-dates of both his children had brought him.

Been told that Iris, and subsequently Jai...and pretty much any kid he and Artemis were going to have, were going to have accelerated...well, everything, was kind of tough, especially when Wally idolised, and craved a 'normal' life. He knew been a speedster; a hero, wasn't going to help his cause, but he still dreamt of normality. This was perhaps the one thing, his desire, which he hadn't told Artemis about.

Wally felt a tug of his trouser leg, and snapped out of the daze he was in. He wasn't sure how long he'd been holding the vacuum to the sofa cushion for, but he did know that it would never quite fit his back as perfectly as it normally did. Iris raised her eyebrow in confusion and pouted. A warm smile tugged at Wally's lips, and his eyes became crescent moons. He switched off the cleaning-machine with his foot, and lifted Iris up with ease, "Anything you wanna do today?" Wally asked while throwing his daughter onto the couch. Iris giggled, and tilted her head backwards, "Celibate Jai, obviously."

Wally's eyebrow twitched. He knew Iris was still young and he knew she meant celebrate, but Artemis' chortles from the other room didn't make it easy to keep a straight face, which was slowly becoming a beetroot hue. He almost jumped for joy as he heard Jai's cries echoing down the staircase; he really didn't want to explain to Iris any of _that _yet.

As he passed Artemis on the way back down the stairs, with Jai in tow; independently clinging to the hand railing by personal choice, Wally smirked. He hated to admit it, but slips of the tongue were awesome ways to get his mood up. He almost strutted into the living room, Jai imitating him. Sighing, Wally placed his son onto the carpet, suppressing giggles. Never, in a million years, would Wally have thought he would have two wonderful children, two speedsters, two best-friends by his side. And never would he have imagined a two-year old (though Iris had been a handful), could be so much work. He pulled the remote out of Jai's mouth as he noticed the channels whizzing past on the screen. Jai began to cry, and Wally was thrown back into the cycle of things.

There was never a moment to really _think, _when you had two children. And sometimes, Wally actually loved this, except for when he needed to do work...then, Jai's cries, which never quite came at the right time, annoyed him. But he fully believed that one day he would get used to it. Fingers crossed the day actually got past two pm; which it still hadn't since the party.

**Hope you enjoyed, do let me know in a wonderful review!  
Next chapter is Umbrella! Until then: Good Night!**

**-Fish**


	21. Umbrella

**Parenting 21 Umbrella**

**This has the children here...a lot, for a BIG reason- so read it if you're up for fun times, and a slightly longer chapter than what I've been writing lately.**

**Thanks for the previous reviews! Please Review again! 3**

**I do not own Young Justice; it belongs to its creators Brandon and Greg, and also to Cartoon Network (who I am eternally peeved at).**

**Enjoy!**

****"Why are we..._here_?" Artemis scrunched up her nose and gave a disapproving look to Wally as they drove up a well-trimmed road in their blue Ford Fiesta. She scowled as Wally ignored her and clenched his jaw. She crossed her arms and slowly shook her head as the sound of popping gravel began to sound under the polished wheels of the car.

The automobile made its way down what could only be described as a 'pomp and circumstance' street. The trees were clipped to near-perfection; the road was dark, almost wet looking tarmac, which shone in the early morning sun smoothed the ride. The homes all stood, each a perfect measure apart- huge, however, like those in fairy tales. Each was matching, with a cobble-stone pathway leading to its front, concealed mostly by humongous fir trees, and giant steel gates, all painted a menacing black. Intricate designs weaved their way into the steel structure, and clawed their way to the gravel flooring before the homes. Wally and Artemis rode a few more moments in silence before they came to the cul-de-sac. The home in the centre stood out the most from any of the grand buildings either side of it. It was surrounded by polished steel and high timber trees, which blotted out some of the warm sun. It stood higher than the other buildings by at least two storeys- turrets and almost-silver bricks found their way into the impressive structure; and yet although Jai and Iris clapped and smiled from the back seat, Artemis looked utterly distraught.

She gazed at the house; to her it not only was cold and menacing, but it held an all too familiar face. Someone she didn't want to see at that minute. She had _trusted _Wally to organise something great for their children, while she and him left for a week holiday in France...but now, she solely regretted placing the load on him. Making correct choices was not something Wally prided himself upon; and it was something Artemis reminded him of every day. However, no matter how upset Artemis was, they couldn't turn away any more. The dark figure was already making his way up the gravel driveway, having gone off route, stretching his legs a few metres away from the identical cobblestone the other homes on the street prided themselves upon.

Artemis was trying to look beyond the form fast approaching her car, and instead, followed the stone path towards the great oak doors, painted a startling white, that ending the lumpy trail. She sighed as she eyed the pristine, sparkling windows- all eight of the bottom floor ones which she could make out. They all had a diamond-like quality; sparkling and expensive. Artemis rolled her eyes at the tap of her window. Iris shrieked with joy and fumbled to unbuckle herself at the same time as prying open the door. Jai screamed in joy, and clapped, and shook and threw his arms and feet into the air. The duo was very excited.

Wally hid and cringed, and, without making eye-contact with his wife, switched off the car and stretched out of the door. He was by mans side within seconds. Artemis chose to snail-pace her way to escape. She spent a length of time pressing down the button on the buckle, and at least a minute swinging the material over her shoulder. She shut her eyes, took a deep breath and found herself face to face with 'Uncle-Dick'. She formally greeted him, gritting her teeth. She always felt out of place beside his house, but even more so beside him. He looked so dapper, with his hair slicked back, and his suit and tie on. His cultured shoes reflected the sun-light, as did his dazzling smile. Iris clung onto his side, and Jai was already balancing on his Uncles firm shoulders. Wally looked like a beggar, in his slacks and red-tee on the side of THE Dick Grayson.

Artemis rolled her eyes, placed a hand to her side, and pointing a finger at the confident man, "I have _no idea _what was going through Wallace's head when he decided _you, _OF ALL PEOPLE, would be a good choice to care for the kids while we're gone...but I swear you better do a hell of a job, Mister, or else..." Wally knew Artemis wanted to go on; remind Dick of the rules, which all bounced around super-powers, schedules and food, but he knew Grayson would do as he pleased. The truth was; Dick was the only person Wally could find who could take the kids in so short notice- he had only called an hour prior to leaving, unbeknownst to Artemis, as he had forgotten to do so earlier. Wally raised his hands, refusing to let Artemis go on, "Babe, you should be HAPPY, Dick can take care of our own Dynamic Duo- it's not a task everyone can face, but the kids love him...isn't that enough?" Wally bit his lip. Of course he knew it wasn't, even before he saw the brick-breaking look in Artemis chilling silver eyes, but he had said it already, no going back. He chortled, and punched Dick's arm, "Seriously Dude, if you screw up, I'll kill yah!" He placed a kiss atop Iris' head, and embraced Jai, who snuggled him for a matter of seconds before crying for Dick again. Wally sighed, gave a piercing look to Nightwing, and proceeded to remove bags of food, and suitcases of clothing and toys from the boot of the car.

Artemis stood her ground, and shook her head once more, before slipping a piece of crumpled paper into Richard's hands. He smirked at her, "I'll do good, I promise. Kay? I've taken a week off work for this, and I'll make sure they get everything done. You should be happy it's the holidays...I wouldn't be able to promise to get them to school!" He laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but Artemis looked unimpressed, "Iris still has school for two more days." Her lip became a fine line, "And she better be in ALL her classes, Dick. And you still have to juggle Jai, and feeding and fun, and homework, and you MUST remember the schedule..." Nightwing raised an eyebrow, but Artemis groaned and continued, "It's in your oversized hand...but, that's not the end! You have to make sure you do an hour of reading with Jai every day, don't let them play with kids they don't know, don't let Jai near the ducks if you go to the pond, don't let Iris run, keep plastic away from the both of them..." Wally grabbed Artemis from behind, shushing her, sending an apologetic look Dick's way at the same time. Wally furrowed his brow, and looked at his untied laces, "We're gonna be late for our plane." He shrugged and waved to Iris and Jai, placing a kiss on Artemis burgundy cheeks- she was fuming. He raced to the car, and started it up.

Artemis opened her mouth, wanting to continue her rant, but decided it against it. She pried Iris off Dick, and clung to her, "Be a good girl. I'll miss you. Act with him, like you would with five of me." She felt Iris shudder, but her smiling face made up for the involuntary movement, "I'll miss you Momma." Her voice cracked slightly, and she ran her pudgy pink fingers through Artemis bob of hair. Artemis sniffed and nodded, placing her daughter to the floor, and grabbing her son, who she threw into the air, and caught, effortlessly, "I love you Munchkin! My baby monkey! Don't do anything silly!" Jai giggled, and placed his fat arms around his mother's neck. He opened his mouth slightly, and placed its against Artemis face as a kiss, and then shrugged out of her grasp. Nightwing was quick to catch the falling boy, who laughed and waved. Artemis placed a hand to her heart, exhaling, before waving and absent-mindedly making her way towards the impatient car.

Nightwing and the kids watched the parents drive away, Iris with shining tears in her eyes. "You have a good mom..." Nightwing stated, placing a hand onto Iris' shoulders, "And a good dad, I should add." He bent down onto his knee, and looked at Iris in her startling green eyes, "Okay, let's head inside. You have school in a few hours, so I'll let you eat, and we'll set off. Are you tired? You must've woken early. Did you remember ever-"Nightwings words became mumbles as Iris placed a hand to his mouth. Her big eyes bored into his cerulean ones, "Do I have to go to school?" She stuck out her bottom lip and let it quiver. Nightwing was caught between two rocks. In the end, he did as predicted; Iris sat, at 10 am, eating cereal beside the blaring TV, Jai in the _wooden _high chair behind her. Nightwing couldn't work out why the two had to keep away from plastic, but he knew they'd lie if he asked.

The Monday ended without much of anything occurring. Nightwing called Iris' school to explain why she was away, and then he fed the two more food. He hadn't had time to look at the paper Artemis had placed into his hands- but he still had enough time to swirl porridge around in his plate. By seven, Nightwing placed Jai into a spare room with a cot. Even though he'd lived in the home for well over three years, with work and..._Girls_ (since 'splitting' with his wife), he hadn't really had a chance to clean it out, or explore it. The room was a pleasant surprise. Dick allowed Iris to sit in front of the TV for a few more hours until her picked up her limp body around twelve, and placed her into a spare room near Jai. Then, he himself made his way into his room. He flew onto the overly springy bed, and unrumpled the paper from before, placing it into his lap. He skimmed it...once, twice...seven times, before placing it to the bedside table, shock evident on his face. Artemis was going to _kill _him. He sped out of the room, cold-sweat on his face and made his way towards Iris' room.

_Dick._

_Just found out you have to care for the kids. Good luck- you'll need it._

_There are a few rules you need to follow...or things might get, well...terrible; please make sure you do, it's all I'm asking._

_Don't let the kids, especially Jai, near plastic. Ever. Even plastic toys are off limits for Jai. You will NEVER see them again- he is always hungry, and, unfortunately, has picked up the habit of eating the stuff._

_Never let the kids fall asleep in front of the TV. I always find it gives them nightmares- don't ask why, I don't know, but it does._

_Bed for Iris by 8.30 or she won't wake up coherently. Bed for Jai by 10pm. He needs to have his special biscuit porridge before bed or he has...tummy upsets. _

_He wakes up around 5.30am, but if you're lucky he'll sleep up to twice during the day. Nap times are usually 1pm and 5pm. _

_Do not let Jai near ducks- this means even his pillow, that's why we packed him one. He is allergic._

_Don't let Iris eat anything too sweet; she gets very hyper...end results aside; she's not fun to catch. Same goes for Jai. _

After Dick had calmed down a shaking and screaming Iris, who had awoken from what she described as 'the worst dream, in the history of ever', he made his way, creeping on tip-toe, to Jai's room. He walked into the blue and pallid green room. The smell of dust, which covered the furniture, was revolting. He moved over to Jai, who was stirring in his sleep, and slapped himself mentally. Jai was covered in patches of red. His button nose was scarlet, and when Nightwing hoisted him from the cage-bed, he noticed that the boy's eyes were also very dull. He glanced at the bags on the side of the room. He could see a cream pillow poking out of them. "Dammit..." Dick threw Jai onto his shoulder, and rushed out of the room. "Maybe I'll call Artemis?" He asked himself, all the while shaking his head. He knew she would murder him, "Or...maybe, they have stuff against allergies in one of those bags!"

Nightwing spent the remainder of the night shuffling things in and out of suitcases, placing them incorrectly back in. He decided all the clothes would have to find new homes in the cupboard after been unable to fit the last twelve garments for the umpteenth time. He had almost forgotten what he was looking for, before an ear-piercing cry echoed around the room. Jai had since been put to bed on the floor, his head resting upon his own pillow. Nightwing didn't want to risk it for that biscuit, as the saying goes, and put Jai back into the cot- he wasn't sure what else was made of duck in there, but after he had checked the pillow, which was filled to the brim with duck feathers, he threw it away. He still hadn't found anything for allergies, it was about five in the morning, and Jai was screaming and yawning at the same time. Nightwing rubbed his eyes, and picked up the boy, who was itching his face in frustration. "We'll go to Iris, and check if she has..." an idea popped into his head, and before long, numerous packages had arrived on his doorstep. Dick Grayson wrote a cheque, and removed each medicine bottle carefully from its case, "Allernomore: For Children under 12 years." Read the first one. He knew Jai would drink it.

After Jai had finished his liquid medicine...and the small plastic spoon which held it, Nightwing left to go wake Iris up. She was going to have to go to school, whether she liked it or not.

When the week came to an end, Artemis found her way back in the Ford, making her way up the same street. Sure, she and Wally had had a great time, exploring France, but Artemis was longing to see her babies again...and so was Wally. It had been an awkward way from the airport, no conversation, both adults solely occupied on what they were going to do when they say Iris and Jai again.

Three figures made their way down the cobblestone as Wally parked the car. Artemis unbuckled herself with sheer precision and raced out of the vehicle. Wally noticed, as e himself made to open the door that Artemis slowed down; and a look of anger spread across her face. Two of the figure sprinted to their mother, while one, Dick, stood awkward, lingering in the middle of the path-way. As Wally approached his children, he noticed why Artemis was ready to rip someone's head off.

Wally strode towards Nightwing with pure anger on his face. He hadn't even touched one of his children since returning. Artemis, however, was hugging her 'babies' close and glaring at Dick. After yelling at Nightwing for a bit, attracting some unwanted attention from the neighbours, Wally made his way to the car, crossing his arms over his chest. Artemis raised an eyebrow at Dick, who smirked and began talking, "Artemis, we'll laugh about this some day!" He threw his arms into the air. He looked far less neat then he had done in the last Monday. He had big bags under his dull blue eyes, his lips were cracked and his forehead was red from the amount of times he had rubbed it in anger. Artemis smiled; even though her children were hyper to the point of vibrating, even though Jai was covered in scabs and dry tears, and even though Iris looked like she hadn't slept in years, swaying on the spot, Artemis knew Dick had given it his all. Caring for the kids was like caring for seven baby elephants; they ate the same amount, and always wanted attention.

"Thanks, Dick. For trying, at the very least." Artemis placed her hand on Iris back as she swayed dangerously far back. Richard smiled and looked at the floor, "Sorry. I'm not too, erm...good, with kids. That why she took-"

Artemis smirked, and stopped Dick talking. She glanced at Jai and Iris, before meeting her eyes with Grayson's own blood-shot ones, "You may have made a few mistakes, Dick, but you are awesome with kids...mine, at the very least. They love you more than any toy, any TV programme, any..." Artemis sighed as Dick laughed, "Yeah, they do!" He straightened his expression, "Iris' homework is in the green bag...and I had to send a few clothes to dry cleaning after Jai fell in the pool. Iris hasn't slept since she got here, and I found out Jai is allergic to strawberries too." Artemis' lost her smile, and frowned, before slapping Nightwing on the arm, "Did you even read the second page of the notes I gave you?" Artemis grunted, and took her children by the arms, hurrying them into the car, "See you for thanksgiving dinner, Dick."

The ex-Robin sighed, and waved at the car as it made its way out of his driveway. He sighed in relief. He loved Jai and Iris, but they were a lot to handle. He needed to call work, and tell them why he'd missed a week, call the cleaners to neaten up the war-zone the inside of his home had become and perhaps make bookings to go to France too. But first, he wanted to sleep.

Wally and Artemis laughed loud in the car, "Did you see his FACE!?" Wally chortled, letting go of the wheel for a moment. Artemis snorted, "Good Work Kids!" Jai clapped his hands, and Iris smirked. Wally and Artemis loved a practical joke or two, and their children were smart enough to go along with them. Faking allergies was easy, creating messes was easy- following the rules Artemis had set in the opposite way was extraordinarily fun. Wally knew Dick probably wouldn't take the kids again, but the stories the kids told about what they did, and how Dick reacted was priceless, no matter how mean they seemed. Of course, Wally and Artemis did have a reason for doing what they did- the week before, Nightwing had sent them several dead fish and eggs in a very soggy paper package...

Iris rolled her eyes as her parents chortled; it seemed some people really didn't ever stop being children.

**There you go. The name umbrella came from the fact that Nightwing had to be a metaphorical umbrella for the children, sorry if it wasn't obvious.**

**Hope you enjoyed this longer chapter.**

**Review?**

**-QLF xoxoxo**


	22. Violin

**Parenting 22 Violin**

**Thanks for the reviews guys!**

**I thought I should update as it is Wally's birthday today! 11/11! He would be 18 if we are going by TV show real time! AWWWW!**

**Also, let's remember the troops who gave their lives to protect us. Lest We Forget.**

**Enjoy!**

Jai was marvelling at the view. His senses were alight. To him, the world was always a far brighter, far louder...and far slower creation then what it was to everyone else. He wasn't imitating his father, who was falling asleep with his palm under his chin, nor was he shuffling uncomfortably like his mother did whenever they came to prim and cultured areas, he, however, didn't look hardly as excited as his sister.

Iris was bouncing up and down on her chair, with tears of joy brimming in her bright eyes. Her father had spoken to her about finding the right 'zone'. He stated that his zone was the base of a flight of many stairs, a park, or perhaps a long dirt road. He stated whenever he was in these areas he felt like he could run forever. And running was his passion. For a while, Iris had imagined that running was her passion to, and while she did enjoy it, it hardly compared to the excitement she was feeling now, in the great auditorium, listening to classical music; listening to the solos the 1st violins legato-ed their way through. Iris wasn't even too sure what she was listening to. Her father's pop and rock music, however little it was played, was prominent in the house, and any music behind movies and shows she watched, she never really paid much attention to- but this. Solely the music, solely the instrument. She had found her calling, and she was in her zone.

When the four got home, and Artemis was fighting Jai into a bubble bath, Iris approached her father who was reading the paper; his reading-glasses perched on his forehead. She carefully took seat in the armchair beside his, and rested her palms on the armrests waiting. After a few minutes, Wally folded the news, flung it onto the coffee table, and placed his feet upon it, at the same time as throwing his arms back behind his head, "Time for bed, Irey!" He stifled a yawned, and ignored how his daughter grimaced at the nick-name. Iris shook her head, and picked up one of her hands, placing it atop the other, "Daddy. I want a violin." She let her eyes bulge and her lip quiver for a moment, before adding, "Pwease!?" Wally chuckled, and lifted his daughter from the chair, carrying her to her room. He'd heard that playing an instrument improved performance at school, but he wasn't too sure if Iris would stick to it.

When Iris was in bed, openly throwing out her own yawns, Wally brushed her hair from her face, and winked, "Will you practise?" He asked, smirking. Iris nodded, slowly, her eyes drooping, and Wally continued, "Will you be a good girl all week?" Iris let her head nod once, her eyes completely closed, "Will you pay for the lessons?" Iris was asleep. Wally chuckled and strode out of the room. He caught Artemis coming out of Jai's room just in time, the two exchanged a look, and the deal was done.

Iris came home from school a few days later, tired and bored. She threw her arms into the air during dinner, startling Jai, who exploded into a fit of tears, "Momma!" Iris shot, glancing around the kitchen, "When's Daddy coming hooooomeeee?" She yelled the words at the top of her lungs, scrunching up her eyes as she did so. Her cry was met by quick footsteps and the appearance of her father beside Jai, trying to quieten the toddler. Wally glanced at his daughter, gave her a weary smile, and motioned with his head towards the other room, "Go check it out, hon." His attention was once more on Jai.

After a few moments of solitude, Artemis sprinted down the stairs, perhaps at Jai's speed, and jumped into the living room. She had heard Iris' ear-splitting scream. She came face to face with Iris, jumping up and down, hugging an electric blue violin. She had a cheek splitting smile on, and her eyes were filled with tears, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she mouthed, out of breath. Wally strode, with perfect timing, into the room holding Jai on his shoulders, "You like?" He asked Iris, winking. Iris nodded a mile a minute, and carefully placed the instrument to the floor before flying into her father with full force. She buried her face in the folds of his clothes, "I'll be good!" She whispered, squeezing tight.

Iris had her first lesson exactly a week later. Her school had a music program, and was happy to take late students, especially those as motivated as Iris. Though her first lesson was learning the four strings and getting a simple exercise of, "A, E, A, E, A E," she was still elated. Even some of the mistakes she had made while playing were forgotten; she loved every second of her half an hour lesson.

She got home that day, smiling broadly, and took straight to the playroom, where her violin lived away from Jai's grasp. She whipped out the sheet of music, and exclaimed, "THE DANCE OF THE RABBIT!" in her high-pitched, but megaphone of voice. Wally, home early, strode into the room excited to hear what his daughter had leant, and though she played the six notes with ease, Wally was left slightly shaken. His headache was returning. He had hardly expected such a horrible screeching from the violin. Iris puffed out her chest, a look of determination in her emerald eyes, "Dad. How long should I practise for?" They had been told half an hour in the music store, and Wally had interpreted the same in some reading he had done. He smirked, and placed a hand under his chin, "I think that's about enough."

Artemis peeked out from around the corner nodding, "Yes, definitely enough!" Jai in her arms however, clapped, shrieking, "END CORE! END CORE!"

Wally pinched the bridge of his nose, and met Iris' eyes for a second. She looked elated, almost quivering. She'd been asked to do an encore! And although Wally's head was pounding, he raised a palm upwards, "ENCORE, ENCORE!" He shot! Jai repeated his father's words as Artemis placed him to the wooden floor. Artemis began clapping a four by four beat, Jai joined, as did Wally, they all beamed at Iris who was shining.

She straightened up, put the violin under her chin, made sure her 'frying-pan hand' was none existent and she glared at the sheet of paper before her, "THE DANCE OF THE RABBIT!" For some odd reason, though Iris had played the six notes in the same way she had done before, Artemis no longer cringed, and Wally's headache didn't get worse. They continued clapping as Jai shouted for another encore, and slowly but surely, her notes became her own interpretations.


	23. West-Crock Dinner

**Parenting 23- West-Crock Family Dinner**

**Thanks for all of the previous reviews! They really make me happy and keep me motivated, so please don't forget to leave some constructive critism after you read!**

**All the Season 1 chapters are done; written. I know need titles for my season 2 chapters: B, C, D, E, I, J,K,L,M, P, R, T, U, V. Thanks if you send 'em in! :D**

**This chapter name was kindly sent by thefayzqueen. Thanks a billion!**

**Enjoy!**

Artemis had been cooking all day; the table was laid with elephant servings of mash potato and rice. Three whole roast chickens sat perfectly spaced along the wooden table. Three gravy boats and seven bowls of vegetables decorated the table too. Wine glasses, silver cutlery and polished oak chairs finished the picture. Artemis lovingly stared at her work, the sparkling plates gleaming back at her. She smirked as the patter of footsteps reached her ears. Wally and Iris, along with Jai, rushed to the table. They took into account last year, when they had all flung themselves into the table and devoured everything in sight; Artemis hadn't taken kindly to it. So, the three tried immensely hard to place themselves into their seats without touching a single morsel of food. Tough Iris had a few slaps to the wrist as she reached out to the chicken the waiting game was played well. A knock at the door signalled the arrival of Grandma Paula. She wheeled herself into the room, and took her place at the end of the table. Nanna Mary and Pops made their way into the home a few minutes later. Artemis took her seat, and gritted her teeth at the awkward silence.

It didn't take long to be broken as Iris shrieked at threw herself into her Grandfather Rudie's arms, "Thank you!" She squealed. Rudolph chuckled and coughed, he seemed a little more ill then he had been before; but he was going strong. Mary lifted Jai from his high chair and looked at him with adoration, "Jai has grown so much, dear." She stated, perhaps to no one. Rudolph sniffed and hugged his granddaughter tighter, "So has Iris. Maybe even more then Jai." He placed a kiss onto Iris freckled forehead and took a headband out from a plastic band by his side. He brushed Iris hair back slightly, and adorned it with the pick headpiece. Iris swelled with happiness and once more buried her face in her Grandfathers chest. Wally grunted slightly; he hated the way his parents picked favourites...and so did Artemis, apparently, as she struggled to pry her fork from out of the wooden table.

Paula coughed and furrowed her brow, "It's quite improper...to hold children at the table." She stated, pointing her fork at Rudolph and Mary in turn. "Especially at a table like this. It's hardly presentable, Artemis. No table cloth." She shook her head slowly and placed her fork to her plate. Artemis arched her brow and finally managed to rip her own fork from the table. The constant criticism that her mother sent her way really got under her skin. Wally obviously noticed this. He cleared his throat, and chewed on his tongue, "Paula, Artemis went all out tonight. She deserves quite a few compliments...plus, you haven't tried the food yet! I can smell how good it is already!" He smirked and patted his stomach. Paula rolled her eyes, "Ever hungry, I see. It's rubbing off on your children." She pointed to Iris who was licking her lips, longingly looking at the food laid out in front of her. "That's no way to behave at a table, child." Paula snapped, causing Iris to stick out her bottom lip and droop in her chair. Rudolph gave her a squeeze with his arm while glaring daggers at Paula. Wally threw his head back in frustration, and perked up at the doorbell. He sped from the table and returned with a laughing Lian in his arms, "Look who I found on our doorstep!" He smirked, placing the girl with birds nest hair in a chair beside him. Lian glanced at Iris, who smirked, before brushing some hair from her eyes, "Hi Grandmother." She stated, without looking at Paula. Paula grunted in response; it seemed the woman wasn't in the best of moods. But apparently, her mood wasn't bad enough for her to stop with her constant corrections "Do something with your hair, dear." She offered, before coughing. A matching version of Lian, only with black hair, strode into the room only seconds after Paula spoke, "I think she looks fine, Mother." Jade whispered, taking a seat beside her daughter. She nodded towards Artemis, who raised an eyebrow. Roy walked in almost on cue, "She looks fine to me." He took a seat beside Wally, reaching out for the chicken nearest to himself. He was punished by a similar slap to the wrist that Iris had received; only by Paula. She stuck her nose into the air and shook her head, "You're setting a terrible example, Roy." He rolled his eyes and placed his hand onto his plate, guarding it. "I swear! This family is nothing but a hungry pack of wolves." Paula grunted.

Wally smirked, "And like wolves, we stick together." He glanced at Artemis, "Unfortunately so, in some cases." He had spoken in a mumble, but still received an elbow to the ribcage; Roy didn't quite agree with the statement. Artemis held in a giggle, and glanced at everyone around the table, "Well, let's say grace and dig in...I suppose."

Iris nodded her head and picked up her cutlery, "Amen, Amen, AMEN!" Rudolph laughed whole heartedly and rubbed Iris' shoulder, "She's such a darling!" He stated. Mary had little time to express her annoyance as Jai threw his hands into the air, "MEN! MEN! AH-MEN!" He chortled, and Artemis beamed. Mary didn't just beam however. She grabbed Jai with full force, and clapped and giggled and after presenting him with several toy cars, she placed him back into his seat. She looked red and out of breath as each eye was turned to her. She gracelessly clasped her hands together and smirked, "Now Jai, well, he _truly_ is a darling." She scoffed and put her head down to her fists, everyone else did so too, including Iris who was rolling her eyes. Artemis shut her eyes, thanked the Lord for the meal and family, and raised herself with elegance. Iris, Wally and Jai all began piling food to their plates, Mary making sure Jai had more than Iris...and Rudolph making sure Iris had more than Jai. Paula commented here and there about how rude that was, and Lian, much like her father, took something into both hands to munch on. Artemis and Jade ate in small bites, trying to ignore their embarrassing family.

The moments of eating didn't last very long at all, however. The silent chewing was interrupted by Paula, who slammed her fist into the table, "What does a woman have to do to get a little attention around here?" Wally spat what he was eating back into his plate, while Iris forced her mouthful down. Artemis and Jade pricked up; the others continued eating. Jade rolled her eyes, "What is it, Mother?" Paula pointed to her plate; it had hardly anything on it. She seemed distressed as she began to speak, "The food is cold, and there's nothing on my plate." She motioned towards Jai and Iris, "Your children are exploding with the amount of food in their mouths." She sent a cold stare to Mary and Rudolph; the latter clutched his chest with his hand. Mary spoke, "Well, Jai is a growing boy! He needs his food! You, on the other hand, do not."

Paula raised an eyebrow, "Are you implying I don't need food...or are you pointing out my age? Your son's plate is also piled high; he doesn't even NEED to grow anymore." Wally raised his palms to the ceiling, and glared, "Are you saying I'm fat, Paula? Or have you forgotten I'm a speedster?"

Artemis shook her head, "Wallace, don't be rude to my mom- you know that's not what she was saying!"

Jade scoffed and threw her head back, smirking, "Puh-leease, Baby Sis. If you would've just cooked this food right, I don't think Mother would have complained in the first place!"

Roy glanced at Artemis, his cheeks those of a hamster, "Artemis cooks just fine, Jade. Better than you do." Artemis gawped, and Jade snapped her head back into place, glaring at her husband. Lian gulped, wanting to interject, but deciding against it. Luckily for her, Paula put her two cents into the conversation once more, "Roy; this is NOT the place to discuss marriage issues."

Artemis chuckled, "And it _is _the place to discuss my cooking?" Wally placed a hand to Artemis shoulder, smiling, "Babe. You cook great. Okay? Can we just get back to eating? Paula shouldn't have brought it up. The kids are eating the right amount, and the food really is going to get cold if we don't get back to eating it now."

There was a moments silence to let what Wally had said sink in. Paula had a look of rage upon her face, Mary was snarling and Jai was whimpering. Any movement that was about to happen, was stopped however, by footsteps and the appearance of a very much unneeded guest. Nightwing paraded into the room, a nonchalant attitude evident, "Sorry I'm late. I thought you'd want me here." He took an unoccupied chair from the kitchen, and grabbed some chicken off Iris' plate. He chewed slowly, before grimacing, "Geez! It's really cold; did you even cook it Arty?" Artemis craned her neck and bit the inside of her cheek, before slowly raising herself and grabbing the gravy pot. "Dick, can you do me a favour?" She asked; she seemed so calm, as if what he had just said had gone through one ear and out the other. Nightwing nodded, and slouched. Artemis continued, "Please, can you tell me? Is the gravy still hot?" She snarled and poured the brown gunk onto his raven hair, sitting back down. Everyone stared, open mouthed, at Dick, who spluttered. His blue eyes glared at Artemis, and his nostrils flared. Artemis began to eat once more, and smiled as Dick stood, presumably to leave. He however, made his way to Artemis, "The gravy was warm, actually." He stated, "Can you tell me how the mash tastes? There seems to be none left." With his remark, he pushed Artemis face down into her potatoes, smirking. He backed away, and clapped his hands. Wally stood, angry at what his friend of many years had just done, "Not so fast, Grayson! You haven't tried the chicken!" Wally threw the meat towards Dick, but he failed to notice the wall of family he was throwing it towards. It landed silently on Paula's face, and slid down, as if to 'rub in' the embarrassment.

Paula shrieked, and grabbed her wine glass, throwing the contents at Wally. It seemed both Jade and Roy who took full blast of the drink, however, were a much better target. Paula smirked; her son in law did not. His white shirt was slowly becoming pink. He grabbed an untouched bowl of vegetables into his hands, and flung the peas and sweet corn at Paula. Mary, Jai and Iris also received the food; which landed among their hair and arms.

The rest, as one might say, is history. The food fight lasted little over ten minutes, and though the guests left laughing; but extremely unhappy, it was Artemis who was far more upset. She didn't know how long it would take to get mushy peas out of the floorboard gaps, or if her curtains would ever be able to lose the pink hue the wine had made them; but she could only imagine how long the mess would take to clean. Perhaps out of chivalry or due to the fact he did kind of start the whole mess, Dick was an unlikely hero. He paid for a maid to clean up, but left without words. Wally, on the other hand, had plenty the children would not be allowed to hear, as he found mashed potato in his shoes and down his top.

**There you go. Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please leave a review!**

**-fish**


	24. X-Rays

Parenting 24 X-Rays

**Do you guys remember when Wally broke his arm in Season 1? Well, cocky Wally is back: and Iris is a lot like him**

**Thanks for the awesome reviews guys!  
My dad just celebrated his 50****th**** birthday! Yey!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

It was three days since the dinner party. Three days since the clanking of glass and the chatter of many voices had filled the now clean home. And it was eerily quiet. Perhaps it was because Jai was sleeping, or because the guests were gone, but the usual buzz of energy that filled the West household was departed. It was strange even tough Artemis knew that Iris and Wally were just patrolling. She knew her husband would come home as ravenous as ever, and Iris would plead to have a shower...but they had left in the morning, and it was now fast approaching Iris' bed time. Artemis bit her lip and paced for a few minutes, before tackling the task of making pasta for Wally. It would take her mind off the clutter her everyday life had become, and help the time pass.

Time, however fast it did pass, didn't seem to make Artemis' daughter rush through the door, nor did it force her husband to stagger through the doorway and bombard her with kisses. Though Artemis wanted to wait with all her heart, her eyes said no, and she dropped off into a semi-blissful sleep until a ringing phone shattered her dreams around five in the morning the next day. And at exactly 5.06, Artemis had called Nightwing, pleaded with him to care for Jai, and then she had thrown herself into her Honda.

When she arrived at the hospital, she found her legs doing the thinking for her. Her mind was too rippled with the intense smell of disinfectant, and the sheen of the alabaster tiles was blinding her. She strode into Room 707; well, more likely, she hobbled in, trying to keep to the walls in case what she saw would cause her to pass out. Her palms brushed against them, and she found them heating, beginning to sweat. Her teeth chattered, and a quick glance at her face gave away how afraid she was; it was ashen and shaking, her eyes bloodshot and dark.

The phone call had stated that Wallace West and Iris West- at the time in their civvies- had been involved in a fight. There were details too, but Artemis hadn't heard them. The word _fight_ had made her swell in anger and frustration; she thought Wally could keep their only daughter safe, but she was quite obviously incorrect.

She glared at the body in the bed which she stood to the side of. Wally hoisted himself up and rubbed his face. It was tear stained; he was either in pain, or extremely upset, and both ideas were tearing Artemis apart. She took a seat on his mattress and gazed into his green eyes, which looked dull- he had zoned out, hardly expecting to see his wife in the room at that moment. "Babe." He began, before clearing his throat, "I swear. It's not what you think." He rubbed the back of his neck and continued, even though Artemis' attention was now on her own tapping feet. "Me and Iris were headed home, I saw someone in trouble, and you know it's not in my nature to leave it be. So I had to fight. The guy pushed Iris out of the way when he tried to run...and I guess both me and him got kinda mad...and..." Wally trailed off, and motioned towards his left leg, which was in a plaster cast. He wiggled his toes as Artemis' attention turned to him. She rolled her eyes and planted a kiss atop his forehead, "You had me worried sick. Is Iris fine?" Wally shrugged and nodded. If he was telling the truth, the worst their daughter would suffer from would be a few bruises...but it raised a few questions; why she was in the hospital if she wasn't unwell?

Artemis furrowed her brow and slid off the bed, "Stop putting yourself in danger." She turned away from the red head and made her way to the doorway, "For me, at the very least."

"But Danger is my middle name." Wally stated, clicking his fingers and wincing slightly. He ran a pale, freckle dusted hand through his fiery hair before smirking. Artemis snarled and threw her head back in frustration. He always wanted to be a joker, even at the most inappropriate times, "No, I'm pretty sure your middle name is Rudolph." And with her angered statement she padded out of the room, leaving Wally to sigh to himself and begin to play with the TV remote.

She made her way down a sterile hallway, and down a few more. After a few minutes the soundless corridors and white surroundings were making her uneasy. She was stopped by a woman in (surprise, surprise) white, and after a long and draining conversation about what she was doing wandering in a no-go section, Artemis began to walk the way she had come. The children's ward was in the East Block of the building, not the West, as she had hoped.

Artemis hurried into Iris' room as soon as she had argued with the poor soul at the front desk. She fumed in anger as she slammed the door behind her, and broke down as soon as she saw her daughter. A few scratches decorated her pallid face, and her eyes were shut tight. Her brow was slightly crinkled. Artemis attention was drawn to Iris' arm. The body-part was in a pink cast. Artemis sniffed and rubbed her eyes, taking a seat beside her daughter's bed. She could easily wait for her child to wake up; she'd done it before, but she'd expected at least a few hours, instead, before Artemis could even get comfortable, Iris fluttered her eyelashes and stretched her working arm.

She hissed slightly as the action pulled on her bad arm. Artemis moved closer to her little girl, and after Iris had stifled yawns, she greeted her mother with a cheeky grin, "I got pushed, and fell into a bin." Artemis nearly laughed; she found it quite funny that her daughter's first instinct was to explain what had happened before prioritizing anything else.

Artemis cocked her head in confusion, "So...you became part of some garbage, and it resulted in your arm breaking?" Artemis chuckled as Iris shook her head almost angrily. After licking her lips, Iris tried to make her mother understand, "No. I hit a bin. I ran into a bin, like Dad sometimes run's into walls." Artemis rolled her eyes, her daughter always made the strangest comparisons.

During the next week, father and daughter were back at home. Iris seemed to be milking her broken arm, and using it as not only a way to receive attention, but also to stay at home. If Artemis ever piped up, and suggested that Iris go to school for a few hours, Iris would begin to cry and hold her cast, exclaiming that everything hurt.

It just happened to be one of those days two weeks after the accident. Artemis had just woken up, and after styling her short hair, she began to make breakfast. Iris, enticed by the smell, rushed into the kitchen. Her unruly hair was in a rushed ponytail, and she stood on tip-toe beside her mother, watching the butter spread onto the toast that would be in her mouth within minutes. Artemis crossed the room, placed the food onto the table, and went to wake Jai as her daughter tucked in. By the time she had returned, Wally (who had been sleeping on the couch), was at the table, also eating. Artemis decided to speak up after she had stuffed several pieces of jam-covered toasts into Jai's mouth. "Iris, don't you think it'd be great to see your friends today?" Iris swallowed and put her cutlery down, "Well yeah, but not at school obviously." She continued stuffing her face as Wally gave her a pat on the back. Artemis growled and stood up, almost making Jai's high-stool topple over with the abrupt action. "Sorry, baby cakes, but today is the day." She glared at Wally who chortled and handed his plate to her, "You're kidding, right babe?"

Artemis slammed it down onto the table, and snarled, "Dad will take you to school, and stop by work to see if there's any work he needs to do...after you clean up. " When her nostrils had stopped flaring, she mumbled something about going for a walk with Jai. Wally's pupils dilated and he turned to face Iris. He struggled to stand up, and hopped on the spot before finding his crutches, "She's not serious is she? She's kidding...right?" Iris' lip quivered and she carefully placed her dishes in the kitchen sink, before beginning to sob, "It's Saturday! I don't want to go to school!" She stomped her foot and tried to fold her arms, before giving up and hitting her cast in anger.

Wally shut his eyes and took a deep breath, before starting to laugh. It was hearty and long, and Iris had no idea why he had become 'just plain creepy' in a matter of seconds. Wally threw the dishtowel to the floor and rubbed his sleep-dust covered eyes, "She's kidding, honny."

Artemis flew into the room at her husband's words, and shook her head. She strode up the stairs with Jai by her side, ignoring the duo who stood puzzled in the kitchen. Iris raised an eyebrow, before running after her mother, exclaiming that her arm hurt again, and that she couldn't even climb the stairs because of it. Wally shut his eyes, "You've gotta be kidding me!" He opened his eyes once more, and struggled to reach his crutches, which were balanced against the fridge. He realised his dilemma, and the words were out of his mouth before he knew what was happening, "Artemis! I need your help!"

Artemis rolled her eyes upstairs as she got busy with plaiting her daughters hair, she pulled slightly, and Iris smirked, "He's kidding right, mommy?" Artemis hummed and nodded, completely ignoring Wally's pleas from the kitchen, which seemed to echo his words.

**That took ages to write. About four or five days, I had major writers block and kept changing things.**

**Please review?**

**The next chapter was prompted by Lilliana Rider: Yellow and Red. I'm quite looking forward to getting it up.**

**-Fish**


	25. Yellow and Red

**Parenting 25 Yellow and Red**

**Thanks to Lillianna Rider for the idea. And thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. I found out I had a whopping 20 altogether for Chapter 1: I was proper chuffed, I'll give you that!**

**Hope everyone enjoys, don't forget to leave a review!**

"You just got your leg cast off. You just promised me that the hero life was behind us- what insecure, crazy part of you decided throwing yourself in front of a bullet would make things better?" Artemis was blankly staring at her husband, spitting words out of her mouth like they were disgusting. He was back in the hospital soon, and she feared that if she didn't do something, it would go back to the past, like when they were teenagers, and soon the ER would become an everyday thing. She ran a shaking hand through his ruffled hair, and let her fingers trail down his cheeks, to his neck. "I'll break your legs, Wally. And I'll make sure you don't get any more mission calls from Dick. You need to stop while you can, I did." Artemis swallowed and continued trailing her hand down Wally's neck, towards his heaving chest, stopping at the place of his heart. Even though the steady beeping machine on the left of Wally's bed told her what was going on, Artemis still brought her head down, and listened to the steady bumping. She hadn't even realised she was crying until she raised her face, and saw the wet patch on Wally's cotton top. He hadn't woken up since the incident, and Artemis was beginning to worry more than she ever had done for his health. She sniffed and moved away from her husband, keeping only her hand in his own. She circled his ring with her finger, lost herself in the moment, before trying again. She hoped Wally could hear her, and she hoped she wasn't wasting her time, "Babe. For me, you need to forget about wearing the Yellow and Red, and think about your family. About me. About Iris, Jai and-"

Artemis was interrupted as the door behind her creaked. A nurse walked in and smiled sadly before tapping her watch, "Family hours are other, Ms. West, we'll call you if anything happens." Artemis stood and smiled, but struggled to hide her rage. _If anything happens? _Who did she think she was, predicting perhaps horrible and unthinkable events? She crossed her fingers for the women, and hoped the short red-head meant Wally waking up, before proceeding to stride out of the room.

* * *

When she got home, she tried to suck up her tears and force herself to believe everything was okay. Iris was over at team head-quarters. Every Thursday after school, Artemis had allowed her child to go help out, though she refused to let Iris join the team full-time. Artemis brushed past Dick- who was babysitting Jai for the duration of her time visiting Wally at the hospital- with force and made her way into her son's room. She motioned with a point of a finger for him to get out, clenching her jaw and trying to restrain herself. She hoisted Jai upwards and touched her nose to his. He screeched and wriggled free of her grasp. He jumped up and down on the spot in his stockings and dark blue t-shirt, clapping his hands. His wavy red hair looked like a flame; it ruffled upwards, and lit up his muddy green eyes. Artemis smirked, and placed a piece of paper to his table, before calling Jai over, "Baby boy, how about we draw Daddy a picture?" Jai smirked and nodded, sitting down and grasping a pencil in his chubby hands.

Artemis had drawn the dotted-outline for a house, and had done the same for four figures. She pointed to each one, and stated the name as Jai worked through the sheet, colouring and adding his own artistic flair throughout the session. After he had finished, a family 'portrait' was in Artemis hands. The smiling people wore matching red tops and smiles, but it was easy to tell who was who. 'Daddy' stood taller than the others, flaming hair and a grin slightly more upturned than the figure next to him wore. 'Mummy' was shorter, her bright yellow hair the thing that set her apart. The only way one could tell she was a woman were her three unrealistic eyelashes on each grey eye. 'Jai' was the smallest person, waving in the image. He apparently had no teeth, and a mix of red and yellow hair, but it was still obviously him. Iris was next to Jai, holding a pink ball. Her four strands of red hair reached the floor, and orange freckles dotted every inch of skin; she looked like she was suffering from a bad case of chicken pox. Artemis sniggered and strode out of the room to place the image into her bag, so she could give it to Wally the next day. She hardly expected Dick to still be in _her _kitchen making a cup of tea when she found her bag. She snarled and threw her scarlet satchel to the floor, before rushing towards the man, and grabbing him by the shoulders, pushing him out of the room, and to the doorway. When he was outside, she snarled and threw her head back, balling her fists, "Don't you even have the decency to leave me alone now? My husband is ILL because of _you_; my children may not have a father because of _you_! And now you're laughing! If you don't leave, permanently, then they won't be able to even put your body back together with glue and tape after I'm done with you!" She slammed the door on his face, and burst into tears in the doorway, struggling to compose herself. Dick was already on a thin line, and as usual, he had crossed it.

* * *

At the team head-quarters, Iris had donned the yellow and red spandex and was having fun speeding around the room. Superboy clapped her on as she ran up the walls and onto the ceiling, before reaching the floor once more. She paused, and took a deep breath, before screaming and clapping. She had done it! All her practise had paid off! She'd gone fast enough to defy gravity, and she had loved every second. Conner smirked, and left the room, leaving Iris to converse with the new generation of heroes, who were semi-excited for her small part of the team. Some, of the team thought she was too young, too inexperienced, and somewhat annoying, but others thought they could mould her to become a perfect asset to the team. Iris didn't care what anyone thought however; she knew she wanted to be a hero, no matter what could go wrong- even if she had semi-witnessed what had happened to her dad only a few nights before. In fact, it was because of her dad that she even wanted to be Impulse. She wanted to be a scarlet/gold speedster, so she could be just like her daddy.

* * *

This fact hit Artemis hard back at home, as she began to think of her child's place on the team and what could happen. Horrible scenarios ran through her mind, and she tried to shake them off. Her head was pounding, and she hadn't even noticed Jai before he slapped her leg for the fifth time. She had managed to zone out completely, and block out all outside sounds. She shook her head, to try to get back into herself, hardly noticing why Jai was jumping up and down again; the phone was ringing.

Artemis and Jai were back at the hospital within ten minutes. Artemis was shaking more than ever, and Jai was slightly confused to what mood his mother was feeling. Dick rushed into the hospital with Iris, and the two adults crossed paths for a moment. Artemis clenched her jaw and somewhat slowly handed Jai to the man, who tried to smile. He looked somewhat wounded, but in Artemis' mind, he deserved the injury, unlike her husband.

Iris struggled out of Dick's grasp, and rushed to her mother's side, desperate to see her father. Artemis either didn't notice, or was too busy trying to find the correct room as she said nothing when Iris' freckled fingers intertwined with her own quivering ones.

Artemis swung Wally's door open, and was holding him in a tight embrace before he could even register her appearance. He awkwardly patted her back as the same short nurse from before tried to pry her away. Artemis moaned and threw her face into her palms, falling down to her knees, "Thank God you're okay!" She whispered, trying to stifle her tears, "I would have killed you if you would've died!" Artemis began sobbing once more as Wally tried to shuffle out of bed to comfort her; his movements stopped by Iris who grabbed his arm and hugged him tight. Wally chuckled and cleared his throat, before lifting his daughter to sit on his lap and hugging her back. Before long, Artemis had joined too. Although Wally stated it was the strong smell of disinfected that was making his eyes water, he was truly happy with his family.

After Iris had gone out of the room, Wally grabbed Artemis hand, and gazed into her eyes for perhaps hours before he began talking. Artemis kept trying to look brave, sitting up straight and preventing tears from spilling from her dull-eyes, but her ragged breathes were bruising her pride. Wally smirked, "I heard everything...well, I think I did. I heard some of the stuff you said, at least."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, thinking about what he was saying while his deep voice continued, "I kept trying to open my eyes, to say something back. But, I just couldn't. I was so drained, you know?" Artemis nodded and guided Wally's hand to her face. He began rubbing circles on her cheeks, before outlining her mouth with his thumb, "I love you, Artemis." He stated, trying to stay serious and concealing his smile with a look to the left. Artemis tried to reply, but choked on the lump in her throat. Wally chuckled, and continued, "If it'll make you happy, I'll stop my hero ways." He sucked in a breath, possibly regretting his words, before nodding his head, "For you, Iris, Jai, and apparently someone else too? If this is for Dick, babe, then-" Artemis shook her head, and opened her mouth, imitating a gold-fish, before the devil-of-the day, Richard Grayson, paraded into the room with Iris and Jai hanging off his arms. He smirked at Artemis, who rolled her eyes. The duo had a upspoken conversation using short motions of eyes. At long last a small smile that cracked Artemis features. Wally rolled his eyes, and hoped this friendship would last; if this really _was _for Dick, removing part of his identity from his life, Wally hoped it would work out. If it didn't, then at the very least, he had someone to blame.

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please leave a review!**

**-fish**


	26. Zany Family of Heroes

**Chapter 26 Zany Family of Heroes**

**Thanks for all of the awesome reviews guys!**

**This was originally prompted by the great Lillianna Rider. :p**

**This is officially the last chapter...of season 1! Be expecting a new season, rebooting with the letter a, very soon. It will still be in this story, so it won't be too hard to find.**

**In this chapter, a few...erm...interesting things are found out...but half of you already guessed one of them. **

**I do not own Young Justice. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

It had become fairly frank that Wally wasn't sticking to the oath he had made while still shaken in a hospital bed. Though he had made major changes; he now had a rather bushy moustache, and had found a new job- he still hadn't stuck to his word. It was obvious, when he came home with poorly hidden gashes and cuts, or when he didn't come home at all, that something was going on. Artemis furrowed her brow as she once again held her iPhone in her hands. Her knuckles were becoming white as she grasped the device in anger. She was contemplating calling Wally; forcing him to come home, and probably arguing with him for a good few hours. She was also, interestingly enough, feeling bad about the whole situation. Ultimately, it wasn't because her husband was still saving people from a random mugging here and there, nor was it because she was terrified for him...it was because she herself was doing the very thing she had quite simply stated she had stopped.

Artemis carefully placed her phone onto the black-marble counter. She un-bandaged her swollen hands, and grimaced at the cuts across them. They were emitting pus- but at least they were healing. She groaned and found a substitute for antibiotics, while wrapping the wound once more. She knew it wasn't healthy, what she was doing, but she felt she needed it. Not the antibiotics, of course, but the lifestyle. She knew she was only hurting herself, and she knew she needed to stop, but the thrill seeker jumping around inside her had caused her to forget how much was actually at stake.

The blonde strutted to the living room. Jai was in his play-pen, throwing colourful blocks at the walls and chewing them. He was absent-mindedly chatting to himself, though the words were impossible to make out. Artemis casually watched him for a few minutes, smiling to herself, before walking over to the four-seater couch by the pen, and removing the a scarlet plump cushion. She tutted to herself as she removed a hand-held radio from the furniture, which she normally hid during the day. She had the frequency set to pick up police-urgencies, and if even the smallest robbery stammered through the speakers, she would throw on her mask and spandex, and rush to the scene wielding her bow.

For the moment, Artemis kept to the shadows- shooting her arrows from the darkness. Some media reporters speculated she was Green Arrow, or Arrowette- but both were fairly impossible ideas. The two enjoyed been in the spotlight. Other journalists suggested she was an android, perhaps not even of the earth. Bloggers thought she might be the ghost of some long forgotten hero, a few thought she was a man...others didn't even think she was real, and it was all a publicity stunt. Artemis was already aware Batman had caught on; Iris had said something about it one Thursday at the dinner table. Artemis half-thanked God that Wally had once again not come home on time, and hadn't heard their daughters rambles; "A new archer! Really skilled, the team say! There are photos too! Apparently, she wears a mask that has a tigers face on it!" Artemis and Wally had kept the 'dark-months' hidden from their daughter, the months that Artemis had played dead while working undercover by the alias of Tigress. Iris probably had no idea that such a mission even existed, not many people did.

Artemis snapped herself out of her daze, and got to work making dinner for the family. She knew Iris would be home at any moment, almost certainly bringing a friend home. If her day was going to plan, Wally would come home about half an hour after Iris. Artemis rolled her eyes; her day **never **went to plan. At best, Wally would tip-toe in at midnight with a slash under his eye and a leg missing. For a moment, Artemis compared Wally before and after he had promised not to stop crime. It seemed he had been doing more saving the day then he had done when he was actually Flash's sidekick. Artemis sighed and sniffed, stirring the noodles in the pot before her.

She heard the click of the door, and Iris rushed in giggling. She embraced her mother, introduced a boy by the name of 'Billy-James' from next door, and rushed up to her room, almost exposing her powers as she did so. Iris had become far better at concealing what she could do, but it didn't help that speed was now automatic with any running she did, and her accelerated growth wasn't making things easier either. Before long, the shrieks and laughter of Billy and Iris could be heard from a mile away, and when Wally rushed into the house an hour later, he even had that fact to comment on.

He was missing a tooth, and his hair was ruffled and his arm, not properly attached to his shoulder, was hanging by his side, but he had definitely had worse. Artemis rolled her eyes, and placed his plate of food on the table. He raised an eyebrow, slouching and taking a seat in the wooden chair that only had three legs. Artemis smirked. She had him trapped. She piled another plate of food for herself, and took a seat directly across from her husband. He stopped eating to acknowledge her presence, and continued at a fast pace until his plate was licked clean and gleaming. "Great food tonight, Babe! Thanks!" He tried to hold in a belch as he patted his stomach, and then began to rise. Artemis cleared her throat, and gestured for him to sit once more. Wally gritted his teeth, he knew this meant talking. He glanced to his left; the doors were all shut, something he had failed to notice in his hunger. He wasn't going to get out fast...so he gave up.

He ran a freckled hand over his eyes, and pushed it against his face, sighing, "Babe, I'm tired. Let's do this later, okay? Work was tough tod-"

Artemis slammed her fork down to the table, her lips a thin line, "Don't pretend, Wally. Work couldn't have been so tough that you managed to scratch your cheek to the meat, and get your shoulder taken out!" She snarled and took a deep breath, "Obviously, you think I'm stupid." Wally tried to intervene, he most likely wanted to argue that she was perfect, ect, so he could get out of the conversation. Artemis glowered at him and continued, "Obviously, you're hiding the fact that you're still doing the 'hero thing', and don't try and deny it. The people from across the block came round to say thanks for rescuing their cat from a tree..." Artemis sniggered at Wally's expression of anger, "And though you think that's a nice deed, pretty harmless, I know cats don't dislocate shoulders...I know what you've been stopping, I know what you've been doing...and I wanted to tell you, that if you really need to continue, do it..."

Wally cheered and threw his arms upwards, before kissing his wife, leaning over the table, "Thank God you understand, Arty! I just wanted to-" Artemis glared, and raised a finger, swaying it from side to side while pursing her lips, "You didn't let me finish. Wallace." She hissed his name, and kept her cold gaze on him, "If you need to continue it, then you won't be living under this roof. But before you go all arrogant- think of Jai, think of Iris...of me, and of the baby. We need you now more than ever, and you need to have a stable job, and you NEED to stay alive. If you die- that's it. I can't get a job, who'd look after the kids? I can't ask Dick of that- he has his own life, even though most of it is women." Artemis sucked in a deep breath, and raised her face to look once more at Wally, "Jai is two and five months, Iris is six, and they need a dad. If you don't do it for me, do it for them." She fluttered her eyelashes as Wally sat with a puzzled expression on his face. Artemis tried to smile, but the small curve her lips made upwards was hardly noticeable, "What do you say then, Wally?"

Wally opened his mouth, furrowed his brow, and scratched his head, "You need to pop my shoulder back in."

Artemis shut her eyes, trying to not make obvious the steam that was puffing out of her nose and ears. Wally laughed, and grimaced before looking down at the floor and twiddling his thumbs, "We only have two kids, Artemis. And you said-" A sudden realisation hit the normally bright Wallace West. His face slowly moved to look at Artemis, who had stopped fuming. The straight line that was his mouth began to curve up, up, until his features were cracking and there were tears in his eyes. He slammed his palms to the table, ignoring the crunching sound his shoulder made. He leapt upwards and yelled at the top of his voice, punching the air with a clenched fist, "I'M GONNA HAVE ANOTHER BABY!" Wally began prancing around the room, bouncing off the floor and twitching the bright red upper lip hair he had sprouted. Artemis rolled her eyes as he took her by the hands and swung her around, shouting at the top of his lungs.

The couple wore matching grins for the first time in a while. It seemed all the stupid stress that had built up had vanished. Wally was already listing what they would need for the baby's room, he was contemplating moving house, and he was already beginning to dial everyone he knew...until Artemis shuffled uncomfortably out of his grasp, grimacing, "We're going to have to double order all the stuff you've written down." She pointed at the four pages of items he had scribbled into a note pad. The words hit Wally far faster; he raised an eyebrow at a time. His smirk dissolved, and became a one sided smile, "We're having twins?"

Artemis nodded with haste, shutting her eyes. She knew how tough it was going to be, she knew all of the trouble it would cause. She didn't want Wally's happiness to go out of the window like she thought it had. She was frightened out of her skin when Wally grabbed her shoulders and pressed his face to hers, his eyes gleaming, and wearing a smile so large even Alice's Cheshire would be impressed. With the sudden motion and smirk, he moved away, and pressed his lips to her ear, whispering, trembling, but all the while ecstatic, "We're having twins."

**There you go.**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave review! Tell me if you liked the series!**

**-fish**


	27. Additions

**And hence forth, this is season 2 of the Art of Parenting!**

**I shall post it in the story, as it is simply a continuation. No time skip, no awkwardness, no new characters...well...er...okay, they'll be plenty going. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for all the support in season 1- please continue to enjoy at your own pace and leave a review!**

**Parenting 27 (1b)- Additions**

Artemis sucked in a sharp intake of breath as she pulled into the somewhat cosy drive-way. The scattered pebbles threw themselves out from under the tyres of her car. The alley of trees leading to the somewhat shabby looking cottage left a carpet of gold's and oranges. She tried to ignore how warm and inviting the scene was, and pulled her scarf slightly over her mouth. She swung her legs out of the car, shut her eyes, and took a deep breath, "This is a new beginning. New life. New stuff..." She shuddered as a cold wind swept her forwards, and her boots barely gripped to the mud track as she began to approach the home.

Her new home. White paint was beginning to peel off the building walls, exposing bright red bricks. A black door, with black framed windows to each side, was open, welcoming her in. Artemis brushed her shoes off on the small mat by the doorway, and let herself in. "So, why am I not happy?" Artemis sighed and hung up her red coat on a coat-hanger by the left of the door. Wally rushed to her side from a large, mainly wood and stone kitchen she could see at the far back of the house. "How is it?" He asked eagerly, bouncing on his heels. Artemis nodded. It was different to her old home in Palo Alto, the double story modern house that was a tight fight for the family.

Though this residence seemed convivial and far more able to accommodate the growing family, Artemis couldn't quite shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She was in a new neighbourhood, which seemed pleasant and the house was only a few minutes away from the nearest train station; it would be easy for Wally to get to work, a few schools were nearby, a park was across the road...the place was perfect. And that was what frightened Artemis; the place was almost _too_ perfect.

She strode into and out of each room, noticing little peculiarities here and there. Candle holders dotted the living room walls, polished wood flooring had taken the place of the usual warm carpet she'd gotten used to. There were four bedrooms, each painted a different colour, each with its own quirky little theme...and Artemis still hadn't found a flaw. Until, of course, a knock at the door signalled someone's arrival.

"Bette-Miranda Dobbs and this is Frankie-Bill, my wonderful husband!" The short, somewhat stout woman grabbed Artemis' hand and shook it furiously, smiling a toothy grin and letting herself in. She had a bandana around her forehead, and shoulder length brown hair. Her red lips gleamed in the dim-light of the ceiling lamp and matched her dress, which trailed the floor. Her husband, dressed like a farmer, with a bushy beard and beetle-black eyes stayed still in the doorway. He was pallid, and a few flies crawled on his face; Wally swore one even landed in his open mouth. His yellowed teeth were decaying, and he didn't smell like a flower either. Artemis smiled, and introduced herself, but Bette-Miranda ("call me Big Mirra!") brushed her off, far more interested in pulling a photo-album out of her bag, "Do you have the furniture in yet?" Big Mirra peeked into the living room. Wally had spent the day bringing the furnishings in, and creating a temporary room for Iris and Jai in one of the smaller bed-rooms.

The living room was just about done. The red four-seater sofa from the Palo Alto dwelling, barely fit across the wall in the room. A fire-place was separated from the sofa by only a rug. A TV was blaring in the far left corner of the room, and about seven boxes of smaller items stood on top of each other, collecting dust, to the right. Big Mirra strutted in, waving her abnormally large hips. She plopped herself down to the couch and began droning on about her life, being as dramatic as possible. Her husband still stood in the doorway, he was begging to drool and his cap had fallen to the floor. Artemis rolled her eyes; just when she had gotten comfortable, she realised exactly what was 'wrong' with the house and her new situation. She crossed her fingers and hoped the other neighbours weren't like the Dobbs'- as in, they just didn't come knocking, period.

The next day, Artemis was disappointed (but not in the least surprised) to find another couple at her door. Artemis had her apron on, just finished with the cooking. She'd managed to complete the living room, and move Iris' stuff into a new room, away from Jai, but she still had a lot more work. She didn't stop her annoyance from seeping out of her at the disruption.

The couple introduced themselves as the Bate's, they had seven children (whose names Artemis couldn't even try to remember), and lived on a farm about a mile away. Joanna Bate's threw herself into Artemis' arms and sobbed, stating she was so happy that they had new friends. Bate Sr., apparently without a first name, showed himself around the house, and commented on the fact that Artemis needed a dog. The poor archer didn't even have time to react as Bate Sr. placed a Border collie puppy into her palms. Artemis blinked, holding the squirming creäture out as Bate Sr. motioned with his hand that he and a still weeping Joanna were leaving. He threw himself out of the door as Artemis placed the small dog to the floor; she didn't know how she hadn't noticed the puppy before...and she couldn't even remember where the couple lived! "I don't know how I'm going to return you!" Artemis barked, removing her apron and rubbing her temples. She had only just moved in, she didn't _want _NOR _need _a dog, which cowered as Artemis spoke, its small ears flat on its head, and its tail between its legs. Something melted within the archer, and she bent down to caress the small animal, "Hi there," she whispered, trying again, scratching the small dog behind its ears. The Collie perked up, and slowly began to waggle its butt, "Everything's gonna be okay." Artemis chuckled. Right on que, Wally strolled through the front door. His eyes met with Artemis, he looked at the dog, and he looked at Artemis once more, shut his eyes, and strode out of the room. Artemis frowned, and picked up the puppy, who tried to wiggle out of her grasp.

"Wally, I swear, it's not what it-"

Artemis couldn't even finish talking, as Wally stuck out his bottom lip and crossed his arms, "I thought we weren't replacing Spike? We don't need _it._" Wally bit his lip and casually looked at the hanging photograph of their old dog, which just so happened to be hung in the corridor they were conversing in. Artemis rolled her eyes and groaned, setting the puppy down and placing her arms to him hips. She raised a hand, and began to count on her fingers as she spoke, "_She, _was a gift from the Bate's, _she, _is NOT replacing Spike. Iris is getting older, and she could use the responsibility, and we should accustom Jai to animals- he's never had them around." Wally frowned and picked up the bother from the floor. It went straight for his nose, and began to lick the feature with gusto. Wally chucked and held the animal away from himself, at arm's length. He rolled his eyes, "One problem..."

Artemis straightened up, and blew some hair out of her face, "We have all the stuff, still from Spike. Town's a few minutes away by car, I saw a pet shop there...we're covered, Wally, training will be FUN, since I'm stuck at home." Artemis pouted as Wally smirked and shook his head. He hugged the Border collie to his face, and it wriggled, its tail a blur, "We still need to name her."

* * *

When Jai met the small bundle of fur, he had decided tasting it was the only option. The dog allowed Jai to throw himself upon it, and thoroughly enjoyed doing the same to him. Wally let out a noise of adoration, and allowed Iris into the room. Since she'd come home from her new school, he'd been teasing her about a certain something, which she had to guess about before she could see. After his daughter gave up, her last guess asking if Artemis had given birth early, Wally didn't want her to lose complete interest, "You're finally allowed to see the surprise!" Wally chortled, as Iris wrapped her arms around herself. Artemis strode out of the kitchen to view her daughter's reaction; a shriek, a bolt for the Collie, and a thousand thank-you's. Jai clapped his hands, and pointed to the creature which Iris was squeezing with all her might, in utter happiness.

"DASH-HER! DASH!" Jai giggled and clapped, even begging to do a small dance before the puppy broke free of Iris' grasp and sped into the boy. Wally raised an eyebrow, and without consenting Artemis, he flew into the room himself, "Dasher it is!" He began to play with the newly christened puppy, while Artemis tried to keep her eyes in her head, rolling them once more.

A loud knocking at the door interrupted the naming ceremony. Artemis took her time to pry herself from her family, and opened the door slowly, sighing when she realised it was more neighbours. A tall, handsome man with dark skin and an equally beautiful, fair-skinned woman stood in the doorway. The woman beamed when she came face to face with Artemis, who looked un-interested, "Hazel. Hazel Smith! Nice to meet you!" She handed Artemis a plate of sweet-items, and wore a warm smile. Wally came to see what was taking Artemis such a long time, noticed the food, and smirked. He pushed his way past Artemis, straight to Hazel, and held her hand, "Please, the pleasure is all ours! Do come in?" Wally led Hazel into the house, stripping Artemis of her plate while she growled. Hazel's husband wore the same expression. He gritted his teeth and his flexed hands became fists, "Harry. Your husband does that often?"

Artemis shook her head, biting her lip, "Sorry about that...it's the food. I'm Artemis West, by the way."

Harry craned his neck, to see what Wally and Hazel were getting up to in the kitchen. He snorted, and clapped slowly. He pointed to his truck, and trailer, where a few pigs sat, oink-ing and chatting with each other, "I thought I'd seen the worst..."

Artemis turned to look at Wally, who was stuffing food into his already full mouth. Hazel looked distraught that her perfectly iced cake and smaller deserts around it were, at that moment, just blobs of sugar and bread. A few crumbs had managed to hit her out of Wally's mouth. Artemis exploded with laughter, holding her stomach and allowing Harry to come in. She answered Harry's unspoken words with a sigh, "Yup...this he _does _do often."

Perhaps...not all the neighbours were _that_ bad. Hazel was taking Wally's eating far better than most people did, at the very least, as she held her chest and looked at the human-boar that was devouring everything in sight.

**There you go. Dasher will be in the story now, but I'm not sure about the neighbours. Wally and Artemis have moved somewhere rural, but I'm not sure where. Everything is going to plan. I have gotten through 5 exams, just 2 more to go!**

**Leave a review! ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MY SEASON 2?**

**What characters do you want to see? What activities do you want the family to do? I have a few chapters written out, but they are by no means consecutive. Please send me in chapter names if you get the chance. **

**Byeeee. Thanks for reading!**


	28. Best Friends

**Best Friends**

**Because they cause arguments, and come in the strangest packages. But we love them.**

**AGAIN: I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU, THIS IS STORY IS CONTINUING. IT IS NOT FINISHED. THAT WAS JUST THE END OF THE **_**FIRST SERIES**_**! ****DO NOT**** LEAVE ME GUYS!**

**Thanks for the reviews guys! Hope you enjoy!**

Wally sat, beer bottle in hand, beside perhaps the only person his wife had something against. And to the left of him, was Harry Smith, from a few doors down. Dick was smirking, talking peculiarity, and laughing a bit too much. Wally clasped a hand around Harry, who began to chuckle. Wally joined in, with a warm, "you'll get used to this" and a smile broke the jovial brother bonding time.

Dick and Wally had been friends for a while, and though Harry had only known Wally for a month or so, he was also becoming one of Wally's close friends. His wife, Hazel, on the other hand, hardly liked Artemis at all. She hadn't shown up for what was supposed to be a big friend's night out, so Artemis had made her own plans almost with other people, almost happy, while Wally stayed with the kids and his friends.

_Stayed with the kids_...well, left the kids in their rooms, sang them to sleep, and then gone to the local bar with his associates after calling his mother to come care for Iris and Jai. Wally didn't get drunk; and Wally didn't even go out drinking, but the occasion was special. He and Artemis had only that week gotten round to telling a few of their friends that she was expecting once more, and with the big move, they'd lost any chances of mingling. Wally felt free, and he knew it would be the last time for 8 months; Artemis was already asking for foot rubs.

While Wally began to sway, only slightly, and sing along with Dick, who was rocking on the balls of his feet, Artemis had made her way to a small cafe, just outside of town. She placed her shoe-string bag onto her lap, brushed some of her unruly cropped hair from her ears, and sunk into the cushioned-back of the stool. She ordered two coffees, one for herself, and one for her guest. And then she changed her mind, and ordered waffles, with ice cream, and a milkshake...and the coffee too. The waitress gave a cheap, phony smile, as Artemis got comfortable and waited on for her friend.

Zatanna didn't take long to arrive however. Artemis noticed the coal-haired girl approaching the table trying to push her way through the busy coffee bar, and instantly stood; looking a bit _too _eager. Artemis smirked as Zatanna wrapped her arms around her, and the duo sat in silence for a few moments, waiting for the food to arrive...they were both flustered and excited, like couples on their first dates.

Zatanna was the first to clear her throat after a few minutes. Artemis quickly lifted her head from her hands, and gave the witch her full attention, "How have you been? The kids? _Wally?_" Zatanna bit her lip, eager to hear everything she had missed out on. Artemis twiddled her thumbs and looked to her feet, feeling shy for a reason she couldn't comprehend, "Oh, you know. Life is life. Wally's working a lot lately, and with the move...well, things have been pretty hectic. Iris had to start a new school; she was _devastated _she had to leave Alice." Zatanna 'awwed' and shed a few tears on Iris' behalf, and Artemis continued, backing out of her original planned words, with a bad cover up "We got a dog." Artemis went on to sparingly detail their Border Collie, Dasher, who was having trouble understanding that it was supposed to go to the toilet outdoors. Zatanna nodded, and cooed at the correct moments, and Artemis began to get more and more enthusiastic as she spoke. Finally, she reached breaking point, and couldn't hold her excitement in. As Zatanna began to sip her coffee, Artemis flung her arms into the air, almost hitting a passing server. She blushed and continued, with Zatanna's full attention, "I'm pregnant!" Artemis shot, beaming and holding her stomach. Zatanna raised an eyebrow and sighed, removing a rather large wrapped gift from her bag. She handed Artemis the present, with a small smile, "I know." She stated, answering Artemis' look of shock. The raven haired waved her hands as if it was nothing, and beamed, "Megan told everyone."

Artemis rolled her eyes and threw her head back, holding her sides in her silent laughter. That sure _sounded _like Megan. Zatanna joined in, though not with as much fervour. The archer noticed her friend's lack of gusto, and stopped in her tracks, placing the silver package onto the chair next to her own. She reached out to Zatanna, who had also stopped laughing. A rather sombre look played at the girl's starling blue eyes as her lips turned downwards. Zatanna noticed the look of confusion on Artemis face, and changed her whole demeanour, nodding her head and giggling slightly. Her eyes becoming crescent moons, "I'm okay. Just a bit green-eyed,_ jealous_, as all." Zatanna tried to stay cool and collected, but by the way she raised her nose towards the end of her sentence, even more exposing the dark bags under her eyes, it was obvious that she was upset. Artemis raised an eyebrow, and tried to speak, but Zatanna chuckled and continued. She seemed to be guessing everything her friend was saying, before it was even said, "It's just, you're about to bring your number to four...and I'm not even married." Zatanna smiled, though it was dark hued, and chewed on the inside of her cheek.

Artemis frowned, and took her hands away from Zatanna, looking to the floor. She seemed to be observing the collecting dust. Zatanna stood up and ran a hand through her dark hair. She'd been through a lot in her years, and even though she loved Artemis to pieces, she couldn't help the envy that seeped out of her. She was highly surprised as she gathered her things that Artemis stood from her own seat, with a smirk on her golden face. The magician puckered her lips in annoyance, but Artemis continued to smile, she motioned with her head for the sorceress to follow, and led the way.

The duo made their way out of the swarming cafe, into the cold night. The navy sky was concealed at parts with patches of depressing grey clouds, reflecting Zatannas mood. Artemis bent down, clasping her knee-high brown boot, and pulling out a candy cane wide stick. She flicked it conspicuously, and smiled as it became her bow. Zatanna was a smart woman, and she registered instantly what Artemis was doing. Playing along, the enchantress strode towards a few men, smoking by their vehicles. Their attention was drawn instantly to the beautiful woman, and they swore they'd seen on TV. Zatanna laughed, and with a grin, she asked if she could borrow their motor-bikes. As if the two young men were under a spell...which they must probably were, the bikes were handed over with helmets. The seats were patched up, and covered with fresh cigarette butts, but Artemis didn't mind. She sniffed, and placed a fittingly green helmet onto her head, "I hate sitting still. Girls nights out are so much more exhilarating." Zatanna nodded, and popped a red helmet over her own scalp. Both women took seat on the means of transport, but something dawned on Zatanna before she could 'put the baby into ignition'. She turned to face Artemis, who tapped her foot impatiently, "Artemis...what if something happens. I mean, you're _pregnant_!" Artemis nodded, almost regretting what she was doing, but a confident smile broke her features, "Zee, these kids have got to learn that ultimately, they can trust me." Artemis put her visor down, and revved up the bike. Zatanna furrowed her brow, but did the same, and the two heroes flew out into the busy city road.

Wally, Harry and Dick had finished singing along to 'Karma-Chameleon'. Dick was completely intoxicated, unable to keep his eyes open as he leant against Harry. Harry smirked, and tried to swat the man away from his shoulder, blinking one eye at a time. Wally's metabolism made it hard to get drunk, but even he himself must've had some pretty strong stuff, as he swayed on the spot. Wally threw his car keys to the floor, and stepped on them, hardly doing any damage. He raised his hands up, "I told my kids they can't drive if they're drunk."

Harry chuckled, and held his sides "Pick the keys up! I'll take the wheel!" Dick snorted and toppled over, and Wally helped him up. Though Wally was a little out of it, he still had some common sense left within him. He picked up his keys, stuffed them into his pocket, and grabbed Dick under his left shoulder. Harry used the usual ambiguous gesture to move his eyes upwards as a sign of utter disapproval and amazement that someone could be so stupid. He tucked his own hand under Dick's armpit. The two began to drag Dick across the street, coming to the decision that they would walk. Dick hollered and laughed and cried out, not himself. Wally kind of understood why Artemis thought the man was a bad influence on the children.

They continued to pull Grayson away from the tavern as he exclaimed unreasonable words. As he began to shout that Wally and Harry were stealing him, Wally began to feel uneasy. It was only seconds later, that he was pinned to a wall, and Harry was in the air, screaming and kicking his legs. Dick stared up in amazement, before laughing and beginning to crawl away from the scene. Wally vibrated his molecules through the items that were holding him to the wall...arrows. A sudden comprehension hit him hard, and he turned slowly. He knew he would regret it. He raised his hands in defeat as Artemis growled and Zatanna gasp-laughed. She let Harry down, rather abruptly, before making him fall asleep, ("Tser ot min tup..."). She steered clear, however, of Dick, who wobbled to her side. Wally shone a toothy smile at his wife, who grunted and release steam from her nostrils. She stomped towards him, yanked the arrows from the wall, and threw them to the floor, "Looking after the kids, _are you_? Don't drink, _do you_? I'm stupid, _am I_? I'll forgive you?" Artemis let a harsh laugh out of her system, before jumping back onto the bike and speeding away.

Zatanna gave Wally a sheepish grin, and looked to the floor, "If you get Dick off me, I'll talk Artemis into letting you sleep at home tonight." She shuffled her feet uncomfortably as the dark haired man began to drool on her shoulder. She shuddered, and Wally pushed Dick away from her, looking fervent. "Zatanna, no need. She _did _say that she'd forgive me."

Wally sped away without any other words, almost happy he was free of having to care for his drunken comrades, and Zatanna clapped a hand to her own forehead, exhaling loudly, "It was a rhetorical question, Wally...Urghh!" Her noise of disapproval signalled that Dick was pestering her again, leaning up to her, sunglasses askew. "Who wears shades in winter anyway?" The witch grunted, looking rather displeased. She didn't know where he lived, and the last time they had spoken on their own terms had NOT been fun. Still, Zatanna wasn't evil. She clasped Dick's hand, and led him to her bike, levitating him, as she sat down, "Emoh em ekat..." She and the flying body beside her disappeared from view.

Harry rubbed his face as he sat up, looking around the dark street. He rubbed his eyes and moaned, "That was the weirdest dream...ever." He helped himself up, and began to stumble. He looked around frantically, before giving up. Wally had taken him to the pub as a surprise...he had no idea where he was, where the others had gotten to, or how he was going to get home.

**oaktavor requested Zatanna, so there she was...;)**

**Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review. **

**Who do you want to see? Any episode names you want to help me with to spark my ideas? I'm stuck for the next one. I'm thinking Christmas to get into spirit, but maybe someone can help me with all the rest? Mind...I have a few of the later ones sorted because of the last series. **


	29. Christmas

**Christmas**

**Getting into the spirit, and thanking my seven reviewers for the last chapter...**

**I don't know, I felt like a reunion fic was in order, but I have A LOT more family stuff coming up next.**

**Enjoy, and PLEASE review! Only a few reviews to go until I reach a 300 review milestone- that'll be the first time I've ever gone over...well...200, even. This story, and all the readers and reviewers are such a blessing. You've all helped me develop as a writer, and I do appreciate constructive criticism, so even more people will catch onto the story and be hooked. I adore every single one of you. Thanks for sticking with me so long!**

Wally knew the only day when he was a morning person was the 25th December...and yet, he didn't really want to push that. The first sign that told him that Christmas Day would become just another early morning was justified when Iris sprang into his room, clad in pyjamas, face smothered with advent calendar chocolate. As a joke the year before, Wally had told her that the point of the calendar was to eat ALL the chocolates on Christmas morning. He hardly expected her to be hyper and chocolate faced, at five in the morning, the following year, jumping up and down in his room. Wally rubbed his eyes, and tried to make the 'thing' disrupting his dreams vanish, but after Iris had placed two Christmas stockings onto his feet, he had no choice but the rip the itchy fabric off, and take Iris downstairs, taking a screeching Jai out of his crib along the way.

They reached the living room door, and Wally bit his lip in apprehension. He _had _gotten into the spirit the night before...and he _had _gone a little overboard. Wally grabbed the handle and watched his daughter shake in anticipation, "I bet Santa really went all out this Christmas!" Wally smirked as Iris' smile became ever wider, and even more painful to look at. The thrusting open of the door was stopped however, by a loud tut.

Artemis slowly padded down the stairs, clutching her bulging stomach and rubbing a hand through her hair, which was slowly growing out again. She brushed past Wally, and placed herself in between the doorway and her husband. Wally rolled his eyes and Iris grunted. Jai seemed to appreciate seeing his mother appear before his peachy face, and clapped.

Artemis swung an arm around her husband, "You can't open the presents without me." She placed a chaste kiss atop his forehead, and grabbed the handle. Wally sucked in a deep breath, and grabbed her hand, trying to stop her...but it was too late. Artemis walked into a wall of fake snow, glitter and fairy lights. She gasped and turned on the spot to gawk at Wally, who shuffled his feet and chuckled. Iris and Jai threw themselves into the room, absolutely wetting themselves in glee.

Iris made her way towards the real Christmas tree, a pine, the unfamiliar smell filling her nostrils. She tried to pat her sticky hands and feet, from the pine needles she was stepping on, but gave up, sat under the towering flora and grabbed a small festively wrapped gift. Jai, on the other hand, was flying into the piles of false snow, trying to eat the glitter, and taste the baubles and decorations that hung from every single object and wall in the living room. Wally rubbed the back of his head. Some may have seen the room as a merry creation, created by someone who was passionate about the time of the year, some may have seen it as silly, as too far...Artemis and Wally didn't fit in any of the stated groups.

While Wally was screaming on the inside, his childish self was to blame for what he had done. When Christmas came around, as much as he didn't want to spoil his children and wife, and as much as he didn't want to stay up till two in the morning decorating, he couldn't help himself. He had some weird fetish for the stuff; the decorations, tinsel and tree. He could buy half the stores Christmas stock if no one went shopping with him, and could barley pry himself away from the aisles of eggnog and mince pies. One Christmas, Wally had even bought another fridge, and stocked it completely with eggnog, eggnog custard and mince pies- it had been cleared fairly fast, and Wally was happy for that. It had become a sort of tradition, though expensive, every year after that.

Artemis was drastically different. While she by no means called herself a Christmas Grinch, she just saw no need to all the decorations. A tree was okay, if it was plastic and sparse, maybe a string of tinsel could loosely hang off the door, and her children could get two gifts, maximum, each, while both she and Wally, in her opinion, should just give a gift to some friends, but not to themselves. This wasn't because she didn't want to celebrate, or because she didn't love Wally- but it was more her upbringing. The tough times- the Christmas' where she got a pair of her dads old socks, and then had to go a sit outside a warehouse in the freezing cold with Jade while her Dad spoke to fellow villains in private. The Christmas' where her mother wasn't home, locked up, and her Father was out somewhere forging evil alliances, while she and her sister lit some old clothes on fire in the dusty fireplace to try and warm the house up. The Christmas' where Jade wasn't home, her mother was moping and her Father was on the run while she mopped the floors and counted down the hours until the day would end. Perhaps, the bad memories attached to the holiday, her childhood, were what prevented Artemis from even trying to have a good time, and though she attempted every year to put on a smile, find Iris and Jai some nice toys and to make a big meal, she still didn't like the day.

Artemis glared at Wally, who told her in a hoarse whisper that he had invited guests while Iris and Jai ripped open dozens of presents. Artemis heaved and shook her head slightly. Wally looked up at the ceiling, somewhat saddened, but his expression changed as his met golden one once more. He pointed up at the roof. Artemis let Wally's finger guide her eyes to the particular spot. She smirked; this was a perk she couldn't really resist- mistletoe.

As Iris gagged, and looked away, Wally planted a rather sloppy kiss onto his wife's lips, and snuck something into her sleeping gown pocket. Artemis raised an eyebrow as Wally shrugged and lifted their confused Border collie from the floor, making his way towards his children. The archer carefully un-wrapped her gift and exposed a light blue box. Knowing Wally and his joking ways, there would be an IOU inside the container. She made her way into the kitchen, placing the present back into her pocket without looking it over. She wanted to start working on the food. She listened for 'oohs' and 'aahs' from Jai and Iris, and after an hour or so, heard the two speedsters rush upstairs to get changed. Artemis yelled to Wally that they were going to pass on breakfast, and after a groan, she heard him begin to sweep in the living room, perhaps trying to score Brownie Points.

Her taking Chicken out of the oven was disrupted by hurried knocking at the front door. She placed the meat onto the counter top, and slowly made her way to the front door, and opened it, getting swept by snow and a harsh wind. She counted the people as they filed into her home, muddy, wet shoes creating puddles on the wood floor. Loud chatter was far louder then the Christmas Music that Wally had begun to play in the other room, and as the guests shook snow off their jackets and threw scarves and gloves and woolly hats to the floor, Artemis took a seat on the floor. They hurled gifts at her, congratulated her, sung, and soon, made their way into the living room, expressing excitement as they pointed out ribbons and streamers. Artemis furrowed her brow, confused and somewhat angry. She pushed herself up, and made a neat pile out of the gifts her friends and family had left for her. She was helped the rest of the way up by Harry, who handed her a poorly wrapped present. He was still holding a grudge against Wally, and his wife had already decided that friendship was by no means possible with the West's. Harry chuckled, wandered aimlessly into the living room, spoke with Wally for a matter of minutes, and made his way out of the house once more, stating that his, "wife didn't know [he] had left."

A rather composed looking Kaldur made his way to the Christmas tree, patting Iris on the head awkwardly and starting small talk with other guests as Wally passed warm wine around. Megan kept away from the crowd, marvelling at the smaller details in the room, and becoming preoccupied with talking to Jai, who had a lot to say via mind-link, apparently.

Conner watched on from the corner, clinging onto his arm and looking at the floor. He and Clark had celebrated in a rather brotherly manner that morning, going sledding. He was still cold from the ordeal, but he couldn't wipe the smile from his face. It seemed to be doing him good- he felt ecstatic, and as he began to think back to the fun day, his attention was drawn away from surveying Megan.

As Wally finished handing around the drinks, he waited for Artemis, who had stomped her way back into the kitchen to bring mince pies. It was only around one, and since Wally had missed breakfast, he was starving. He didn't seem to be the only one. He heard Paula's sound of disapproval sneak up behind him and she pushed her glass into his arms, "It tastes disgusting. Too hot. I'm too hungry to drink; where is all the service?" Wally didn't want to start a fight, and smiled politely, excusing himself from the conversation without answering Artemis' mother, he pretended he had been called by his own Mother, Mary, who flung her arms around him on Que. Rudolph was absent, which Wally noted. Mary told Wally he was very preoccupied, but unfortunately for Wally, and even for Artemis as she made her way out of the kitchen, they knew Rudolph was just very ill and didn't want to be a burden. Mary handed Jai a gift, and passed Wally two more, explaining that one was for Iris, and one was 'for the bedroom'. Wally thanked God that the gift was only a pillow, as he bid his mother farewell.

Artemis passed her own mother a mince pie, and made her to her sister, niece and brother in law. Jade wore a rather unfitting Santa hat, and Roy wore the beard that was supposed to be a part of the set. Lian stood in a too large green sweater- but at the very least, she looked festive. Her red lips contrasted with the ice under her nose. Artemis laughed and brushed the hanging icicles from her shivering niece, and cranked up the heat as she waddled away from her close relatives.

Iris, ever jealous, found herself tearing Dick away from Zatanna. She boldly moved him from under the mistletoe, and began to show him her presents. Dick didn't lose interest, and in fact, lit up like a candle himself. Zatanna, seeing that her...partner, was having fun, began to converse with Rocket, who until that moment, had been staring into space, uninterested. She'd been different for a while, but no one really paid much mind to it; if she needed to talk she'd bring it up. What was going on at home was none of their business.

Artemis sat everyone down after the initial meeting; it was a tight squeeze in the new home. After everyone was full with Chicken, vegetable, mash and even more mice pies and fruit cake, they made way back into the cold temperatures with sweet goodbyes, and kisses here and there. Artemis noticed that Wally looked rather out of it; it was about seven o clock- she wondered if he was tired. It was a fair assumption- Jai had fallen asleep on the floor. After putting him to bed, and doing the same with Iris, she decided to bring up the matter with Wally. He hadn't dropped into a deep sleep on the rug, so he obviously wasn't exhausted- though, without asking, Artemis knew why he was gloomy. "Maybe I should give Iris a call...ask her how everything's going." Wally asked, not even directly asking Artemis as he looked at his feet, swallowing slightly. It was a sensitive topic to him, and she hated bringing it up...but around this time of year, it was inevitable. Wally shook his head, "Nope...it's a touchy subject. Never mind Artemis. I'll call tomorrow." Wally stood up, but was pushed back down by a fuming Artemis. She stomped her foot and flung a phone his way, "You can't let this take over your life. You know Iris isn't. Call. It'll be fine, I promise. She's getting over it...so can you." Artemis calmed down and placed a kiss onto his neck. She made her way upstairs, partially thanking her past self for thinking up the idea to use paper plates- she had no dishes to do.

Wally held the phone in his hands, and slowly dialled the number. When Artemis made her way downstairs in the middle of the night for a snack, she saw him sleeping on the couch, phone tucked under his chin. She smiled sadly, and wrapped a blanket over his body. She felt the small box in her pocket, wanting to open it...but it could wait, for now, Wally needed her, and perhaps, even though she had gotten him a new mug, it was the only gift he, and even she, needed for that moment.

**There. Just got caught up in family issues, sorry it took so long to upload. Hope you enjoyed. Review. PLEASE. **

**-fish**


	30. Daycare

**Had a lot of trouble thinking this one up. Please review guys, at the moment, it's actually the **_**only **_**thing that makes me write. In saying that, thank you to my five reviewers for the last chapter. *tears up*You guys make all the difference.**

**Well, thanks to any readers for sticking with me for 30 chapters. I'm quite proud myself actually, I guess having a plan helps, but I just didn't have a plan for a few chapters, this included. Please send in chapter names...pleeeeaaasssseee.**

**I wanted to do Richard chapter and name it 'Dick', but then I was like...erm, it can be misinterpreted. So I went through about twelve D words, starting and deleting each chapter, and then I got stuck. So, I had to Google words until something came up. Its hard coming up with stuff- to all my readers, please do review with chapter names and constructive criticism. Please. **

**Enjoy,**

**Parenting 30: Day Care**

Iris sat awkwardly on the stool. She moved slowly forwards, and the chair wobbled, thrusting her back once more. Iris paused, let the action sink in, and began doing it again. One leg of the chair was shorter than the other three, and the wobble did create some form of enjoyment. Iris glanced at the clock; she'd been there, on that chair, for two hours. For multiple hours she had done nothing.

She was kind of used to it, where she was. Her uncle and aunt were not really the most fun people, and Lian didn't exactly love to play with a six year old. Iris sighed, and wobbled the chair again, slamming it down. It seemed her cousin had heard enough, at that action, Lian snarled, and grabbed Iris arm, dragging her from the chair and into a shabby looking room. She brushed back her mane and growled slightly; pointing to the small bed in the corner of the room, "Sit down. And stay quiet."

Iris' bottom lip quivered as she took a seat on the bed, crossing her legs and twiddling her thumbs. Lian looked exasperated as she sat on the floor, and pulled out a notebook from under the bed, "I'm gonna do my homework- if you bother me, I'll throw you out of the window." Iris rolled her eyes; part of her knew Lian was serious, and her neck would be snapped if she stepped out of line, but the other part knew this was her cousin best attempt at being humorous. It was just the way she was; aggressive and slightly sadistic, but it suited her.

Iris crossed her arms, matching her legs, and pouted. After a few minutes of seeing Lian didn't care, she began to pick at a scab on her knee. That, according to Lian, who had eyes on the back of her head, was disgusting, so Iris sat still once more. It was tough, listening to the scratching of pen on paper and a ticking clock, and soon enough, Iris began to hum. Lian slammed her book closed, slid it back under her bed and fumed. She closed her eyes slowly, took a deep breath and scrunched up her nose, before relaxing, "Iris. How about you stop making noise, and draw instead?" Iris smirked and stopped immediately, holding out her hands for paper. Lian raised an eyebrow and chuckled, standing up and taking the red-heads freckled hand. "This way, silly." Iris beamed; even though Lian did kind of act bi-polar, with the way she changed moods so fast, Iris did like it when Lian was kind, and at the very least, took a break from exploding with rage.

Lian led Iris into a small study. A large canvas sheet was splayed against two of the walls. The bed had a small sheet of plastic on it, and the desk was rotting wood. It matched the wooden floor, which was somewhat wet and created a horrible damp smell. Iris took a seat on the synthetic covering, and held her nose, while Lian paced around the room collecting cans and paint brushes from around the various corners and loose floorboards she had hidden them in. After she was happy with her collection, she placed the items before Iris, who let go of her nose.

The auburn, bushy haired girl placed a hand to her hips and smirked, "Mom and Dad say I can have _this _room. It was going to be for the guests, but...I decided, since it was bigger than the crappy..." Iris gasped at Lian's language, but the older girl continued, "Since it's better than my place, I wanted it. Mom and Dad say I have to do all the decoration though." Lian rolled her eyes and loosely draped an apron over her neck. She propelled a matching apron into Iris arms, and made her way to the canvas covering, grabbing two random sections of it, and pulling. It feel to the floor like a ball- fast and hard, but made no noise once it touched the wet wood that Lian was stood on. Iris gawked at the scene before her. The two walls were decorated in images, stenciled posters and graffiti. It was amazing. The bright colours, the sheer amount of time and effort put into the work- it was fine art, in the flesh. Iris' pupils dilated as Lian handed her a can of spray paint, and pointed to the least decorated wall. She gave her a stencil too, and Iris tried to get to work. Lian watched, appalled, as Iris struggled to stick the stencil to the wall. After some pushing and shoving, Lian managed to relieve Iris of all paints and stencils, and Iris began to draw on paper instead. Lian got to work, and Iris got some enjoyment out of watching her jump to reach the top spots.

Around lunchtime- which was signalled by the growling of Iris' stomach- the front door opened, and Jade, clad in winter clothing and shaking, staggered into the house. Roy followed her, wearing a ski-jacket and a scarf. He tried to deprive himself of emotion, but couldn't stop himself from trembling. He bolted to the heating system, which he turned up even higher. Iris strode up to Jade, gave her a warming hug, and asked when dinner would be ready. Jade smirked, replying with a snarky, "Never" before getting to work. Just as quickly as he had entered, Roy left for work. Lian rolled her eyes; he hadn't even said bye. She knew he was busy, but it still kinda...hurt. She padded up to her mother and started helping out. Iris left the gloomy kitchen to explore the even gloomier apartment.

It was sparse, and boring. The walls were all a creamy-white, but the paint was peeling. The wooden floors were all damp- the Harper-Nguyen's lived on the bottom floor, and rain would flood in during the winter months. Iris found herself in the room of her aunt and uncle. It was rather plain- a bed, a white rug on the floor and a mirror on the left-hand wall. There was a small wooden table to the right of the bed, which Iris began to examine. She opened the only drawer- it was brimming with pictures and notes and little mementoes- it was obviously a keep-safe box...but Iris wondered why the photographs of smiling faces were not on the walls.

Iris did the same to the other two bedrooms, which she had been in with Lian before. They were even more bland- a bed in each, and a cupboard in one. The decorated room looked far livelier, it seemed to be the heart of the home, and it gave Iris a rather sneaky idea. She grabbed the spray paint, cans and brushes, and waddled back to the room of Jade and Roy.

When Jade entered her room to call Iris for dinner, she was shocked to find the girl sprawled across the floor, smiling. A different scene caught her attention after seeing her niece- the usually mild walls were covered in paints- red and yellow stripes on one wall, green and blue on another, and were pasted with pictures. Jade noticed her memory-drawer was open, and she added two and two together. She wasn't sure if she was mad that Iris had raided her stuff and completely changed her room, or if she was proud of her sister's daughter's ability, sneakiness and act of kindness. Iris stood up, looking like a guilty puppy, and stalked out of the room. Jade sighed and followed- there was no point getting mad, what was done, was done.

As soon as Iris sat herself down, back onto the wobbly chair, a knock at the door signalled the arrival of her parents. They had gone to the doctors with Jai that day- he had developed a tremendous fever, and had been crying non-stop through the night. To Artemis and Wally's relief, Jai 'just' had the flu, and medicine would make him better. Iris was glad as well- she didn't want Jai to get hurt or really sick; she knew her parents would react just like one of their friends had done. Iris shuddered, wiping the memory away, before hugging her mother and father in turn.

Wally and his children left to go to the car after thanking Jade, and stopping to eat...but Artemis stayed. After a quick 'powdering of the nose'- Artemis returned looking gleeful. Jade raised both eyebrows, "I didn't know peeing was so fun."

Artemis stuck out her tongue, "I didn't know you liked bright colours. Nice decorations though- didn't think you'd be the type to have pictures of mom or me on your wall."

Jade puffed out her cheeks, flushing red, before retorting, "Iris did it!" Artemis nodded her head, biting her lip, "Yeah and Jai drove me here." Artemis patted her sister on the shoulder, before warming herself up once more, and leaving for the car. Jade tried to hold her anger inside, "No one ever believes me!" She stomped her foot, and Lian laughed, knocking the salad bowl over, "Mom, you have me to thank." She stated, while picking up stray lettuce from the floor, "Iris had a master-class this morning."

Jade rolled her eyes, "Yes Lian, and Roy didn't whine while we were shopping this morning." Jade left the room, perhaps to look at the art her room had become, while Lian clomped her foot, growling, "No one ever believes me."

**There you go. Like sister like sister, like mother like daughter. **

**I incorporated some of the chapter names I had been thinking up: Doctors and Drawing being the predominant ones.**

**Please review!  
-fish**


	31. Echo

**Parenting 31- Echo**

**Thanks for the people who reviewed last chapter- I had a bit of trouble with it, as it wouldn't come up on the archive three hours after I put it up...:/ But yeah, I think it's all good now. **

**Just wondering...are people losing interest in the fanfic? You can ask me in a PM why I feel this, but yeah. Read on. **

**New chapter. Prepare yourselves, and remember to enjoy and review!**

Iris waded deeper into the water, it began to bump into her waist, and she waded further still, until it was holding her up, and she could stand on tip-toe no longer. Her dad had taught her to swim at a young age, and as she raised one hand upwards and plunged it back into the water, doing the same action with her other consequently, and moving her feet, she propelled forwards. She decided to take a semi-circle route- she knew she could swim for a while, but she didn't want to swim too far, afraid that she wouldn't find her way back. She kept the sandy shoreline in view, and the cavernous towering rocks in her vision. She breathed slow, trying to remember what Kaldur had taught her- if she panicked, she'd drop, if she didn't breathe enough, she'd sink. Though Iris had no proof what Aqualad had said was true, she kept to his technique, breathing in and out as she began to make her way back to the sand.

The water was icy cold, but Iris had long since stopped shaking- she, her father and Jai had been at the 'beach', or more, the secluded area they liked to call their own, since very early morning. Since the playing in the sand, the sea-shell hunting and several barbeques had long since finished, Iris begged her father to let her swim. Not that he had said yes- it was the middle of January. She had persuaded him to go on a hunt for crabs with her- while he took one cave, she would take another. She had forgotten to warn him that it was all a lie, and as he had disappeared from view, she had made her way to the water.

Iris smiled sheepishly as she saw her father re-appearing with Jai from a cave. Jai was 'oohing' and clapping his hands, his hat barley staying on his head with the gusto he was producing the claps with. He sneezed, the cold already getting to him, and began to cry. Wally comforted him, and began to walk around the small beach, searching for Iris. She saw a look of panic sweep his face for a moment, before he composed himself and called her name. Iris hated doing what she did, but like a cat, she liked being wanted, but never obliged to commands or false gifts. She let the water sweep over her head, as she began to swim towards the caves, numb, hardly moving.

As she rose for air, she found she was no longer out in the open- but that didn't make her shiver any less. She was inside one of the many caverns along the coast line. She made her way to the rocky surface- tried and cold. The water was still deep, and her harsh intakes of breath proved she was weary. As she pushed herself up, she exhaled quickly, cutting her side on the sharp rock. She hissed and watched her breath in the cold air. She could see it...how fascinating.

Iris slid across the jagged rock, finding something fairly smooth to rest on. Again, she heard her father call. It was dark in the cave, and her game wasn't that fun anymore. She peeked at her wound- it was very bloody, and the sea salt made it sting. She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, while stifling her sobs- perhaps straying away from the pack really was a bad idea. Again, Wally frantically called her name. The noise seemed amplified. Iris opened her mouth and called back, but no resonance came out. Again, she watched the air rise out of her mouth, a white cloud. It vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared- it was so enchanting. Iris cleared her throat and tried to stop her rapid shaking. She couldn't control it, and found her obscure jittering sideways quite funny- but even her laugh was ragged. Iris knew something was wrong as she lifted her small hands to her face. They were usually pallid...but on that occasion, they were almost see-through. It looked like they were bruising purple and blue. Iris sucked in a deep breath and shut her eyes.

"Daddy?" She called. It was hoarse, but it was greater than before. Iris listened to her voice bounce of the walls. _Daddy, Daddy, Daddy._ It overlapped, and she found it mesmerizing. She listened to it die out, and tried again, louder, "DAD!" The wall's mimicked her frantic call, _Dad, dad, dad. _Iris listened for an answer but only heard herself. She tucked her knees to her chest and cried- those startling, saddening sounds and sniffles also resonant.

Iris listened to the water dripping in the cave. It had its own beat; it was its own music. She tried to calm herself down, by listening to the little plopping noise become quieter, then louder, quieter, then louder, and though at first it was interesting, after a while, it reminded her how alone she was. She hadn't even noticed how much she was quivering anymore- she was so frozen, she could no longer sense it. "Dad?" She whispered, the small sound becoming something large. As if she had started an earthquake, an erupting roar bounced off the walls, but it wasn't her voice- it was the sound of running and a muffled voice, "IRIS! IRIS!" She was unsure how many times her father shouted it, it echoed back too many to count.

Iris wobbled to her feet, "DAD!?" She called, swaying on the spot. She heard no reply, and took matters back into her own blue hands. She threw herself into the freezing water, gasping and screaming. She had forgotten how it pierced her skin, and how it made her wound feel like it was on fire. She tried to suck in breaths, she tried to concentrate, and she began to swim deeper into the cave, into its little crevices, hoping to find some path, some light, to guide her- but the cave only got darker, and quieter, and the water only got deeper. Iris pulled herself up to the rocks again, ignoring the multiple daggers they seemed to poke into her. She decided to wander around the large cave, which had a few set courses she could take.

What seemed like a few hours into her freezing saunter, after coming to many dead ends, and slipping on seaweed, Iris began to see a small light. Before, she had cursed herself for not just swimming out the way she came, but when she had doubted, and tried to go back, she just became even more lost and scared. Now, her frantic heart and panting matched her run, as she made her way to the light, ignoring the stabs of pain from her side, her head and her feet. She ran faster and faster until- plop. She fell back into the water. Iris shrieked, she was unprepared for the cold burst, and the waves that surged towards her- though she could see where the light was coming from, it was becoming harder to keep her head up as the waves swept over her. Iris shook with tears, fear and anger. "Why am I so stupid?" She clung to the barnacle covered walls and shut her eyes. "Dad?" It echoed. "DAD?" It echoed again.

This time, her attempt wasn't fruitless, "Iris?"

It seemed so close, his voice. It was warm and inviting, not angry and hysterical like before. Iris knew where it was coming from. She looked up, towards the shining light. Her father was holding his hands out to her, shouting her name. Iris nodded and scrunched up her nose- though she could no longer hear what her father was saying. She tried to reach his hands- they were closer than she had originally thought, it was still too far, considering her feet were not even touching the rocky bottom.

Iris growled and tried to jump to her father, who was shouting words she couldn't make out. It became obvious to her that she would not get out, and she began to quake once more with large tears that only added to her watery situation. "I can't do it, Poppa!" Iris yelled at the top of her lungs- her voice, however, to her astonishment and fear, was only a hoarse whisper. She opened her mouth in surprise, swallowing some salty water. She shook her head angrily and again tried to jump for her father. The tides were not in her favor, however, and she hit her head against the wall, blacking out.

At least she was warm.

Iris woke up to a bright light, though she knew she wasn't dead. She could make out a few figures, some furniture in the blinding white room; a chair in the corner, a table across from her bed. When she looked to her left, she could even vaguely make out a pot of flowers; though everything was too blurred to see which kind they were.

She saw a figure leaning over her, a sharp pain in her head bothered her, and as she let a few tears out, and shut her eyes, reopening them to try to pretend she wasn't crying, everything became clear, "Momma!" Iris whispered, though she tried to be loud. She clung onto her mother's neck, and smiled. Artemis began to speak, but Iris shook her head. She couldn't hear anything- she hoped it was just water in her ears. She spotted her father near the chair she had noticed before. He did not come to embrace her, in fact, he looked furious. He was clinging onto Jai, and rocking him a bit too hard. Her uncle Dick grabbed his shoulder, but her father brushed it off. Iris arched her eyebrow, confused at what this gesture meant, but she got the same feeling for Dick, as she noticed him walk towards another prominent figure in the room; Zatanna. Iris grimaced and sat up, as Artemis cooed over her. She flicked some stray hair from her face, and rubbed her bandaged head. It hurt. A lot.

Her mother said something, Iris cocked her head to the side, and figured it meant she was leaving- a doctor took her place, and she began looking Iris over. She gestured for Iris to open her mouth by opening her own red-lipped one, exposing perfect teeth. Iris opened her own, revealed her uneven rows. The doctor checked Iris' ears, her eyes, smiled sadly, and approached Wally to talk.

A few hours after Artemis left, she returned with Jelly and stroked Iris' hair. It seemed the doctor had read into Iris' situation, and knew something she didn't. Artemis didn't try to talk again, but her six-year-old daughter noticed that her eyes were red from crying. She shuddered and worried for herself- she knew whatever was going on was bad news.

The doctor approached her mother, and Artemis held Iris hand- for some strange reason, the little red-head automatically connected this to a procedure, and shut her eyes. She felt the Doctor stick something into her strawberry ears, she began to feel drowsy...and then she felt warm once more.

After she awoke, stretched and pushed herself out of the hospital bed, Iris ran to the nearest mirror, ignoring the pains in her feet. Her white dressing down feel to her ankles, and she almost tripped on it as she raised herself onto tip-toe to get a better view. "Ahhh." She said to the mirror, opening her mouth wide and looking into it. It was red- almost bloody looking. Iris painfully gulped and turned her head slightly to look at her ears. Then, she slowly looked once more at herself, "Ahhh..." She made the noise again, directing it at the mirror, before beaming, "I can hear!" She whispered, touching her ears.

She padded back to her bed, and sat upon it, waiting for visitors. To her surprise, it was her father who strode into the room. He looked just as shocked as she did- but it seemed he had already vented his anger. He looked tired, worn-out, but by no means livid. Wally sat himself down next to the pumpkin-haired, peachy faced girl- she looked far better than she had done when he found her. He ran a hand through her hair, causing her to cringe slightly- though her ears were better, everything was still sore. "I can hear again, Daddy." Iris said quietly. Wally smiled and nodded, pulling her closer to his warm body.

"If you even run off again, if you ever scare me like that again...if you ever go and hurt yourself like that, go against what I've said is wrong, and continue to have a disregard for my words, I promise, I won't be this forgiving." Wally pushed his daughter away and locked his jaw. He was hurt- and since he was so much like a child, it would take him a while to heal. He left the room, leaving Iris to ponder. Perhaps he could heal with her- as her physical scars would fade, maybe his mental ones would too.

Iris exhaled slowly. She had heard her father loud and clear, and by no means would she disobey him, or deliberately put herself into that kind of danger again. She had been through the ordeal, and it had terrified her- she never wanted to be unable to hear her father calling her name, her mother's laughter, Jai's clapping, or echoes bouncing of the walls of the caves she was sure they would visit in the future again. She never wanted to be put through that silent treatment again- it was so much harder, then any physical pain she could feel.

**There. Next chapter will be way more light-hearted, I swear.**

**Please review. **


	32. Fat

**Artemis has been pregnant since slightly before 'Yellow and Red'. That chapter was set in early October. About a month on, there was the chapter 'Zany Family of Heroes'. 'Additions' took place towards the very end of November, after Thanksgiving. **

**The Chapter 'Christmas' is self-explanatory, and since in the chapter 'Daycare' I still write cold into the climate, it is set around early January. In 'Echo' it is stated that it is January- making Artemis, at the time of 'Echo' 5 months pregnant. **

**This chapter, 'Fat' is set right bang on the 1****st**** of February. Now, I'm not saying this makes Artemis exactly 6 months pregnant, but it does mean that she is **_**almost **_**six months. The pregnancy will progress very quickly from here: look out for the chapter starting with H. **

**Anyways, thank you everyone who reviewed. I don't know why I ever felt insecure about this story. I love it, and all the reviewers! :3**

**Enjoy! (And sorry for the long AN)**

Artemis was nearly 24 weeks pregnant. She'd managed to get through her pregnancy without much up-chucking of food, though her appetite had increased severely- so severely, in fact, that she ate about seven times a day, not counting the meals she christened as 'snacks'. And after eating, she would pee, and then eat again. Her life had gotten fairly boring, but she had gotten hooked onto a new TV show, and made do with that.

When Zatanna tried to take her out once, Artemis had broken down into tears, "What if I get in the way? I mean...I'm so fat. I'd probably..." It wasn't a new conversation, but Artemis weight-gain and her self consciousness about it, had made Zee talk to Wally.

Wally didn't exactly think his wife had gained weight- he was pretty blind to things of that nature. He saw the bump, but other than a bit more waist on his wife, she looked the same. He blamed it on the fact that she had two speedster babies inside her; and if they reflected Jai and Iris' consumption, it showed why Artemis was never full.

Artemis on the other-hand was extremely upset over her eating habits, as she had told Zatanna on numerous occasions. She didn't _try _to eat more than Wally at the dinner table; in fact, before she'd gotten pregnant with the twins, she didn't even think it was a possibility, but yesterday had proved her wrong. On the last day of every month, in that case, January, Artemis, Wally and the children would get together with friends for a large meal. Sometimes, it was a quiet get-together around a fire, with sausages sizzling and baked beans on toast. Most of the time, the group would settle for pizza and cake, and on rare occasions, they would go all out, and splurge in a restaurant.

That last day of January had been the usual. Pizza and cake were easy to get, and Artemis returned home after only half an hour of shopping.

"How many guests are we having, babe?" Wally asked, as he struggled with fitting the huge amount of food Artemis had bought, into the fridge. Artemis waddled into the room, holding her stomach. She rolled her eyes, "Me, You, the kids, Zee and Dick. I also invited Harry, but he couldn't make it." She sighed and brushed past Wally, grabbing a bag of Doritos from the cupboard. Wally arched his brow, and finally managed to shut the fridge door, before noticing there was still another bag to go. Artemis left for the living room, and curled up on the couch, in plain sight. She switched on the TV, and began to munch her unhealthy treat, "Why do you ask, Wally?" She questioned, eyes glued to her favorite soap-opera.

Wally cleared his throat and pushed the last pizza into the freezer. He knew whatever he said would be misinterpreted; lately Artemis was on a short fuse. Wally sauntered over to his wife, and wrapped his arms around her, planting a kiss onto her slightly red face, "Oh, it's nothing babe. I just forgot."

Wally leaned away from Artemis as she snarled, "Don't lie, Wallace." Her sharp tone made the red-haired man move even further from her. He gave up, and raised his hands slightly, "We just have a few too many pizzas, that's all."

Artemis furrowed her brow, and picked at her nail for a moment, before looking back to the TV and pulling her legs more towards her baby-bump. She bit her lip, and frowned, "What are you saying?" She grabbed the remote, and muted the TV, turning to fully look at her red-in-the-face husband, who twiddled his thumbs.

"Oh, nothing babe. It's just, there's gonna be six of us, and you bought twenty pizzas. That's all." Wally raised himself from the couch- he was afraid Artemis would lash out, and well, maybe rip of his face or something.

The blonde sniffed and turned off the TV, "There's another bag in the boot- I wasn't too sure what you guys were going to eat." Artemis looked back the blank television, quite wounded, while Wally tried to register what she had said, leaning against the sofa, "So you want...twenty large pizzas...to yourself?"

Artemis wobbled as she stood up in anger, "No! You're blowing this out of proportion! I only wanted half that amount!"

"Ten?" Wally raised his eyebrow.

"You don't need to remind me of the number!" Artemis growled and dug her nails into her crossed arms, furious at his words. Wally backed away slightly, protecting his face as Artemis lifted a pillow from the couch. "Woah, woah, _babe_!" The speedster stressed, waving his hands. "That's not what I was trying to do! I was just commenting on..well..._that's a lot of pizza_."

Wally tried to quieten to the end of his words, but he knew he was too late. What was said, was said. For a moment, Wally actually thought Artemis was frozen with fury, but the pillow flying into his groin proved him wrong. He landed with a 'oof' to the floor, and Dasher ran to him, beginning to lick his face. Artemis grabbed another pillow, and began to approach Wally, who tried to slide backwards, away from her menacing form. Instead of being hit, however, he was merely ignored, as Artemis walked away from him, loosely holding the pillow in her hand. She was pouting, and her cheeks were already tear-stained. Wally raised himself, and watched her leave the room, before patting Dasher on the head, "I'm never going to get used to that." Dasher yapped in response, getting into lunge position and waggling her butt.

Wally wasn't out of earshot. Artemis hobbled back into the room, launching the pillow at him again. Dasher took full blast, squealed, and then shook it off, waggling her tail and bouncing out of the room. The red-haired speedster stood up, using the lamp to support him. Artemis' nostrils flared as she spoke, "Get used to _what, _exactly?" Wally looked to the floor, arms behind his back. None of his arguments would do him any good in the situation, so he just listened like a scolded child, his bottom lip protruding slightly. Artemis tried again, fuming with anger, "Spit it out, _Bay-watch. _You're not going to get used to what?" Wally suppressed a giggled, and continued staring at the floor. Artemis moved closer to him- just so he was in reach. "You can't get used to me being fat? Is that it?"

Wally darted his head upwards, looking flabbergasted. He threw his hand sup to the air, confusion evident in his voice, "What? No! Not at all, babe!"

Artemis threw another pillow at him, and slouched, "I can't tell if that's sarcasm!"

"YOU'RE NOT FAT!"

"YES, I AM! AND IT'S YOUR FAULT! _Everything is your fault!_" Artemis spat the words out, like they were venom. And they seemed to be, by the expression of pain on Wally's face.

"Everything? YOU'RE THE PREGNANT ONE!"

Artemis shook her head, and tapped her fingers on her, once again, crossed arms. She arched her brow and pursed her lips, "You got me pregnant. **AND**, because of you, I now eat like a **PIG**, pee like...every **HALF HOUR**, and **MY BACK IS IN AGONY**!" Artemis growled and Wally grabbed his face, pushing his hands down it, leaving rather red hand prints.

"Am I interrupting something?" Zatanna strode into the room, looking embarrassed.

Dick came up behind her and grabbed her waist, smirking, "Told you we should have waited in the car." His eyebrows did a little dance, and Zatanna elbowed him in the ribs for it, attention back on Artemis, who was holding a couch-cushion, about to throw it. Dick focused on Wally, who looked just about in tears. He tried not to laugh at his 'whipped' friend.

Zatanna smirked, "I think we'll leave you two, to...whatever you're doing."

Wally gasped and ran to Dick, using him as a shield, "Don't leave me alone with _her_!" Wally pointed at his wife, who grumbled. Dick raised an eyebrow, lifted Wally with ease, and placed him in front of Zatanna. Artemis threw the couch-cushion and growled. Wally held his stomach, grimacing, and Zatanna stepped over him, grabbing Artemis by the hand, "Let's go- Girls 'Night' Out?"

Artemis nodded with gusto, and glared at Wally, who was rolling around the floor, clutching his abdomen, "Now you know what I feel like every minute, of every day." Artemis offered him a quick smile, coated with oozing hate, and grabbed her bag, leaving the room.

Zatanna smiled at the scene, "Call me when the guests come, okay?" She patted Dick's shoulder, "C'mon rich-boy, you better get started on dinner."

Dick refrained from applauding her reference, and stepped over a sobbing Wally also, beginning to raid the fridge. Artemis was almost out of the door, when she heard Richard gasp, "Why are there so many pizzas? No one could eat even one of these on their own!"

Wally's mood was elevated as both Zatanna and Artemis chased Dick around the room with enchanted pillows. He was soothed even more with the reminder that he probably wouldn't have to make dinner.

**Thanking everyone for all of the reviews for the previous chapters! **

**I remind everyone that I don't own Young Justice, and warn you that i am now on a very strict Laptop-diet, so to speak. Do not expect an update very soon, especially since the idea for chapter G is there, but nothing is written. Wow. I really need to get organized. :3  
**


	33. Gabble

**It's a lot longer; but it reflects how my father used to tell me stuff.**

**Italics is a memory/story. Otherwise, it's all the same.**

**Thank you all so much for the whopping amount of reviews I got since the last chapter. They seriously are my world! Thank you to everyone! :3**

**Please enjoy, and do review. **

_Wally briskly strode into Mount Justice. He ignored a cheerful 'hello' from Megan, pushed past Black Canary, and set his target: Robin, who was munching a sandwich in the kitchen. With a bolt, Wally grabbed Robin's shoulders, turned the fifteen year old around, and shook him. Robin slapped away Wally's arms nonchalantly, and leant against the fridge, beginning to devour his snack once more, "Can I 'elp you wi' som'thin'?" Robin asked, crumbs flying from his mouth._

_Wally arched his brow, and threw his arms into the air, "Dude- you need to break my legs!" Wally pushed his arms down to cross them over his chest, and began to tap his foot in anxiety and impatience. Robin chuckled and threw away the other half of his buttered bread- Wally didn't even mumble at this action, and the little raven haired teen knew it was urgent. _

"_Alright? Why?" _

_Wally grumbled and sighed, before throwing his hands onto his own face and rubbing his eyes, "School. This is my last year, and Coach said if I don't, he'll fail me- he actually won't let me graduate! Duuuudee- I NEED to graduate! Me and Artemis are moving in together next year!" Wally moaned and threw his head back, causing Robin to chuckle and straighten up. He patted down his hair, which was slowly spiking at the top and addressed his anxious friend, "Okay- what does he want you to do?"_

_Wally snarled, "Cross Country, Dick. I haven't been in many of my Phys. Ed lessons, and now he wants me to run!"_

_Dick smirked, "No problems there...Kid Flash."_

_Wally grunted and shut his eyes, "You're not getting the point. I can't just NOT run fast. And what if I slip up? One wrong move and EVERYONE knows who I am."_

_Robin waved his hands, "Okay, Okay. I get the point. But, seriously, your Coach can't stop you graduating!" _

_An air of seriousness enveloped Wally, and he locked his jaw, "Kevin Parker- broke his leg two weeks ago, and has to re-do his Sports. He can't graduate with us until the leg is healed!"_

"_Okay- so why would breaking your legs help?"_

_Wally opened his mouth to speak, questioned himself and exhaled, "You're right." Wally spread his arms to the sides and shut his eyes, and with a tone of absolute significance he spoke to his friend, "Rob- you need to kill me."_

_But the bird, as much as he wanted to help his red-haired, pasty skinned, freckled speedster of a friend, didn't. And Wally had to return to school the next day, clad in red sports shorts and a white tee shirt. He pressed the bottle of ice in his hands to his face, sighing. He was already covered in beads of sweat, and the course, though only 1000 metres (which would be run twice) looked endless to him as he shook in anticipation. Unwelcomed anticipation. _

_As much as the running track was an infinite opportunity for him, as much as he wanted to leap from his spot, finish it in two seconds and go home, he knew he couldn't. The whole class was watching, as was the Instructor and some random students who had finished early-some of which were holding cameras. "To capture the memories of your last year!" Wally heard one exclaim to a fellow classmate. To capture memories- fair enough, but that meant he couldn't step out of line for sure; the media kids would do anything to get a photo of Kid flash out of uniform, anyone would. When that thought hit Wally, and his breath caught in his throat, everything seemed to slow down. _

_Wally chucked his bottle to the floor, slightly splashing his legs with the droplets that flew out on impact. He looked to the concrete slab he was stood on, took a deep breath, and began to snail-pace his way to the starting track. He hadn't even gotten halfway when he felt arms on his back. He turned in confusion, but smirked when he realised it was Artemis. She furrowed her brow, "What do you think you're doing?"_

_Wally shrugged and sighed, "Something really stupid."_

_Artemis motioned with her head to the crowd, in which sat Zatanna, Robin (though not in uniform) and Megan. Conner wasn't there, but Wally wasn't all too surprised. He looked back at the track, and Artemis squeezed his quivering hand, making her way back to their friends. Wally slouched, and bent down, to fiddle with his triple-knotted shoelace. It wasn't a shock to find Coach looming over him when he staggered up. _

_The tall man's nostrils flared, his muscles twitched and he looked ready to kill. "Track. West. NOW." His gruff voice made the man seem menacing, loud- though that was perhaps his nicest tone. Wally shuddered, remembering Coach's voice when he caught two boys graffiti-ing the sports cabinet. Wally's feet began shuffling across the floor- but to him, the action was involuntary. He tried to regain control, grabbing a foot, but it continued to move in the same way the other, that was shuffling on the ground. The red head glared towards his friends; Zatanna giving him the thumbs up._

_Wally carefully placed his foot back down, and gawked as his feet began moving again, he started jogging- and yet, he wasn't even trying to. He began to jog down the track, or at the very least, what could only be defined as jogging for Wally. He ran up the route and back again, still finishing with the fastest time- and yet, nothing had looked out of the ordinary. He had run like a...like a normal, boring person. _

_His coach slapped him on the back, beaming, and Wally, hardly breaking sweat, walked to his friends. "What did you do?" He asked in awe as they began packing up their things. Zatanna smirked, "Teef sih lortnoc em tel!" With the words and the wave of a hand, Wally's feet began shuffling again. He arched a brow, "Alright, Zee. I get it. Thanks." He rubbed the back of his head, but Zatanna didn't stop. Dick grabbed her arm, "Make him break-dance."_

"_Or make him do some Irish dancing!" Artemis piped in. An evil grin was plastered on her golden face, "Make him crump"_

_Zatanna laughed, "He can't crump without his arms." Wally shut his eyes; with Zatanna's new spell, he doubted he was ever going to get home. _

Wally placed Jai onto his lap smirking, "But...In the end, I did get home. Zatanna trained me, I started running in Olympics and stuff...and when I and Mommy got married, I gave it all up. Just for her." Artemis rolled her eyes, holding the basket of wet laundry, "That's not how it happened. At all, don't listen to him Jai."

Right on cue, the strawberry blonde pressed his hands over his ears and shut his eyes. Wally chuckled and put him down to the floor. Iris, who was laid on the floorboards, spoke up, "So what did happen...when you got home, I mean?"

Artemis sighed, "See, Zatanna didn't even take the spell off him; she never put it on him! When Wally got there..."

_He hadn't even gotten halfway when he felt arms on his back. He turned in confusion, but smirked when he realised it was Artemis. She furrowed her brow, "What do you think you're doing?"_

_Wally shrugged and sighed, "Something really stupid."_

_Artemis motioned with her head to the crowd, in which sat Zatanna, Robin (though not in uniform) and Megan. Conner wasn't there, but Wally wasn't all too surprised. He looked back at the track, and Artemis squeezed his quivering hand, "Then don't do it." Artemis winked, and strode away from the slouching teen. He waved his hands, "I kinda need to!"_

_Coach came up behind him; a short, stout man, with an easy going nature, but an air about him that made people feel pressured. He put a hand to Wally's shoulder, "West, if you don't want to do this. Don't. But you have to finish all the theory I'll give you, in two days."_

_Wally cocked his head, "What about Parker?"_

_The teacher rolled his eyes, "That kid is doing theory too- but I doubt he'll finish." He waggled his finger and Wally grinned, "Coach, I'll take theory any day!"_

"And even though there were about seven books to finish, Wally did them in a few hours, got to graduate, moved in with me, went to uni, got married...and then we had you."

Jai clapped his hands, shrieking. Wally sighed, "Babe, don't be a spoilt-sport. I was trying to make it fun!" He looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep his temper.

Iris fluttered her eyelashes, "How did you and Daddy meet?" she asked, standing and walking over to her mother. Artemis dropped the laundry-basket to the floor, slightly wheezing, "It's a long story, hon. I think I need to lie down." Artemis hobbled out of the room rubbing her temples. Wally watched for a few minutes, evidently concerned, but he couldn't just leave Jai in the room alone- food was cooking. It would have been unwise to take Jai to his mother, with how much her migraine pained her anyways.

Wally grabbed Iris under her arms, and hoisted her up, so she could sit on his knee, "Boy, Iris. You've gotten heavier!" Wally joked and began jittering his knee while Iris half-heartedly pouted. Wally rolled his eyes, "Fine. I'll tell you the story of how I and your mom met." Wally wiggled his eyebrows and Iris fist-pumped the air, "And then you'll tell me more from when you were a kid?" Wally nodded, smiling and absentmindedly began brushing his daughters hair with his long fingers. She shut her eyes, getting into the moment.

_Batman spoke into the camera, on Wally's wrist watch, "You have only ten minutes to get there, get her, and get out." Batman gave Wally a thumbs up as he placed his visor down. The red head's pupils dilated, as he saw where he would have to go. His stomach lurched as his feet began their sudden moments._

_Stopping only for a coke, Wally made it his priority to reach the warehouse. When he arrived, hands on hips, he was suspired to see Robin there, whimpering. "I can't do it, Kid Flash. Only you can save us- and the very beautiful, foxy blonde archer who-"_

"That's not what happened. _At all_" Dick strode into the room clenching his jaw, and Wally reacted by clutching his heart. Iris sprang from her father to her uncle, grabbing his neck and planting kisses all over his red cheeks. Wally smirked, "Who let you in?"

Dick motioned to Zatanna, who was stood behind him, holding the front door off its hinges. Wally shut his eyes and shook his head, raising a hand, "I don't wanna know. I really don't want to know." Zatanna nodded and handed Dick the door, ticking Iris and managing to pry her off Nightwing, "But, I bet Iris wants to know what actually happened when Wally and Artemis met!"

Iris nodded, unsure whether she should listen and enjoy the story, or fume at Zatanna for taking Dick (who was now trying to re-attach the door) away from her. Zatanna cleared her throat, and Wally crossed his arms over his chest, "Zee, you weren't even there!"

"Right you are, Wally. But Dick told me plenty." Zatanna giggled as Wally sent Nightwing a piercing look, pouting, "Iris, Uncle Richard probably distorted the whole story. Don't listen to Zatanna." Iris rolled her eyes, and placed herself onto Zatannas lap. Jai, on the other hand, screeched and again threw his hands over his ears.

The sorceress pursed her lips and looked up for a moment, as if she was trying to remember all the (probably embarrassing) details. "Okay, well...It all started when..."

_It was hot. The team had spent a pretty much perfect day at the beach, enjoying time spent away from the most annoying person in the world: Kid Flash himself. They returned inside, prepared themselves, and met with some of the higher leaguers. A mission was a mission, and all good things had to come to an end. _

_Like the good day, for example._

_The machine-voice alerted the team of Wally's arrival, and while they all tried to compose themselves and put on smiles, no one could prepare themselves for what they saw: a lumbering teenager, bare chest, fully covered in beach toys. The sunscreen on his features was hardly wiped in at all, but he looked far too excited to care, "I'm the most awesome person ever!" He blurted, diving to the floor and sliding across it. He slid until he reached an unfamiliar pair of feet; brown boots which smelt none-too familiar. He cocked his head, looked up, and was blinded by the beauty of a Greek Goddess- none other than Artemis._

_He raised himself, got to one knee and proclaimed his undying love. Artemis beamed, though Wally was out of her league. She was perfect, she could get any guy...and she settled for the speedster. Proclaiming her love in the same fashion, the two walked to the beach, Wally flirting every so often, until Artemis got bored and left. _

"The End." Zatanna stated, smiling. Iris looked dazed, and Wally furrowed his brow.

"I think I...I actually just got stupider listening to that."

"Emphasis on the _stupider_." Zatanna said, craning her neck to get a better view of Dick, who was still trying to attach the door. Iris laughed, joined by Dick, and even by Jai, even though he still had hand son his ears and didn't understand the joke. Then Iris shuffled back towards Dick, who was still trying to make the door look untouched, "How about you, Uncle Dick. How did you and Aunt Zatanna meet?"

Wally raised an eyebrow, a devilish smile on his handsome face, "I could go ahead and make stuff up...but..." Wally sighed, "I'm a little bit tired, and Iris- you have soccer training in less than an hour." Iris bit her lip, and nodded, removing herself from Dick's personal space. Jai looked around, "Wha' happen?" He asked, angling his head to the side.

Wally chuckled, "Your ninja uncle over there kidnapped Zatanna- we took her along onto a mission."

Iris ran back into the room, snorting with laughter. She pounded the floor with her fist for a moment, before looking at her father with teary crescent moon eyes, "Good one dad!" She giggled, "For once, I don't believe you."

Zatanna blushed and looked to Dick, who seemed to be focusing very hand on screwing something into the door. Wally shook his head, exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. Perhaps he should have gone with telling Iris that Zatanna had been a mermaid and had dragged Dick into water when they were at Happy Harbour one day, he didn't doubt that she would believe that.

**There you go. This actually starting with a whole story of Iris going to soccer, but it was kinda boring, even my brother said so- so after much deliberation, writing and finishing, this was created. Though I couldn't find a fitting title. **

**Review?**


	34. Hello

**300 reviews! **

**Thanks for EVERYTHING!**

**I'M CRYING! 300! *pants* I can't...even comprehend...how? Thank you. **

**Now...back to business. **

**I do not feel enough time has passed since Artemis announced her pregnancy within this story- because in the chapter before the last, it was announced she was almost six months- more than 24 weeks pregnant. Twins can be born between 32-37 weeks, so I'm going for a number between that.**

**Last chapter was set while Artemis was, say, 27 weeks pregnant. **

**But even If I jump to the next month- which would be 28 weeks and March, it's still not enough time. So, I am jumping to 30 weeks, late March.**

**CHAPTER WAS MEANT TO BE IN TWO PARTS; THATS WHY IT TOOK SO LONG. SORRRYYYY!**

**Please enjoy and review.**

Iris placed her head to the baby bump, listening hard. She had done this with Jai too, but she didn't have much memory of it, since he was born while she was still young. Wally had told her the other day, that when Artemis had been expecting the flaxen boy, Iris had actually heard him speak through her mother's stomach- and since Jai was a shrieker, it wasn't hard to believe.

Now, Iris had set in stone that what her father said was reality, and she patiently listened to the twins; hoping they'd say hello or laugh. She puckered her lips, snooping intently. Artemis was sleeping; in all fairness, it was three in the morning- but that didn't mean Iris wouldn't try.

She lightly tapped the huge baby bump. If Artemis was asleep, it dawned on Iris that the twins _must _be slumbering as well. The knock didn't seem to rouse them, so Iris tried to whisper to them. She hadn't exactly mastered the concept, and Artemis stirred in response. Iris instantly slid off the bed; hiding under it- if Artemis caught her...she shuddered.

Iris _really _wanted to meet her new siblings.

After waiting for a few moments, and hearing no shuffles from above, Iris slithered across the floor, with one last wistful look up at her mother she was out of the door and running to her bedroom. She'd try again later.

And try later she did. When Artemis warily hobbled into the kitchen the next morning, she was almost knocked out of her socks by Iris, who had waited and planned on the couch since early morning. She halted right in front of her mother; unlike her father, she did not have to decrease her speed to stop. Placing freckled hands over the baby bump, she waited once more. A little kick and a hitch in Artemis breathing made Iris swell up with pride.

Artemis gently grasped Iris' hands, and pushed them away from the bump, "They seem happy to see you" Artemis offered, smiling. She turned away, opening the fridge as Wally bolted into the room, rocking on the balls of his feet. He chuckled, having heard what his wife had said and tousled Iris' hair. He noted the confusion in her face, "That's right, Irey. The babies' can see through Mommy's clothes. X-Ray vision." He tapped one of his eyelids and smirked.

"Isn't it bad to lie to your children?" Wally jumped out of his skin, and turned abruptly, face to face with Richard Grayson, in the flesh. Wally pressed the man slightly out of his personal bubble and smiled, "Dick, I'm not lying, I'm telling very interesting, vivid and somewhat laughable stories." Richard chuckled and slicked his hair down, as Wally threw his arms up, "Who let you in, by the way?"

Artemis placed a hand onto Wally's shoulder, arching a single, golden brow, "Who do you think? None other than the bird himself." She brought her hands down to her waist, sniggering. Wally grinned and took one of her hands into his, kissing it quickly. Dick looked away, flushing slightly, before shaking the initial embarrassment off, and placing hands on hips, "So, Artemis. When are Baby A and B due?"

Artemis sighed, "I've had this conversation a billion times with you and Zee!" She wrapped her arms around Wally's waist, smiling slyly. Dick locked his jaw, determined to change the topic...or at least get the two off each other's faces. He cleared his throat, and Wally and Artemis finished their chaste kiss. He raised an eyebrow, "So, have you found out the sex..."

Iris gasped and clasped her hands over her eyes, scrunching up her eyes. Wally chuckled and messed with his daughters red hair. She calmed down slightly at the action, and starting breathing again. Dick smirked, trying again, "Do you know if A and B are female or male?"

Artemis nodded and Wally shook his head. Both exchanged confused looks, and Wally snatched his hand away from Artemis' grasp, frowning slightly, "You found out without me?" Wally asked with pain clear in his tone. Artemis bit her lip, but shook her head, letting her slightly longer hair create a curtain over her eyes, "No, Wally. It's just a mother's instinct. I knew Iris was a girl before finding out, as with Jai being a boy."

Wally relaxed and drew in a deep breath, "M'Kay. But...you can't know for certain. Right? It's nice when it's a surprise?" He cupped her face with his hand, and trailed her nose with his other as he looked into her dark stormy eyes, which moved up and down with her head as she agreed with her husband. Dick rolled his eyes, "Geez, you two really need to get a room." He coughed, trying to get the couples attention, "Anyways, have you thought of names yet?"

That seemed to do the trick. Wally snapped his head back, to look at Dick, almost eyeing him suspiciously, and Artemis wandered back to the counter, trying to start preparing breakfast. Iris sighed, also leaving the room. It was obvious to her that attention was not on her starling eyes and new nightgown. Wally ran a hand through his dishevelled hair and looked to the floor, his lips forming a tight line, "Well, kind of. I mean, I've thought of plenty of names, but so far, me and Arty can't agree on anything." He leant against the marble counter, looking worn-out. Artemis laughed and brushed the crumbs off the chopping board, placing bread into a large metallic toaster, "That's because Baywatch here, keeps thinking up weird names!"

Dick looked to the side, trying to stop himself from laughing, "Have you thought of naming them after, oh, I don't know, team members...maybe?"

Wally chortled, "After a certain Nightwing, I presume?" He moved his head from side to side, "I suggested a few names...but none of the team really. What if someone felt left out?"

"Okay. I'll cut to the point; _I'll _feel left out, if the babies aren't named after me." Dick looked serious as he clenched his fists. Artemis eyeballed him and moved away from the food. Wally thought for a moment, before slowly stammering, "Well...Jai...Jai's middle name is...it's Richard." Wally shuffled his feet, looking to Artemis for support.

Dick laughed to himself, biting the inside of his cheek, "I've heard you 'tell tales' to Iris so much, I really know when you're making something up." He tapped his foot against the linoleum flooring.

Wally snorted, "Well, no offence Dick, but- yeah, we love you. You're one of our closest friends...but, I just don't know. About the name Richard. I mean." Wally stammered out, and gazed at Artemis, who seemed very uncomfortable.

She finally spoke up, rubbing her temples, "Dick, please don't take offence, but I, for one, am having a lot of trouble with coming up with names at the moment. Nothing seems right, kay? Plus, me and you- we haven't always been on the best terms..."

Wally sighed, continuing, "You've done a lot of stuff, which really makes us question you."

Dick locked his jaw, and refrained from slapping the wall in anger, "I get what you mean, but I'm different now! You know it! It was tough, after Kory- but now I have Zee, she's putting me on the right track. I mean, anyways, aren't we on good terms now?" He sounded strained, and looked to the couple for support. Wally nodded once- it seemed legitimate, but Artemis didn't move.

In fact, the only thing that changed was the expression on her pale face. She looked distraught, "We're going to have to think of names now!"

Wally clenched his jaw, and Dick raised an eyebrow as Artemis hissed slightly, "My water just broke." She grunted slightly, and paced out of the room, mumbling how nothing ever went as planned. Wally looked to Dick- his expression was priceless, but fear coated it. Dick raised his other eyebrow, as Wally spoke in a harsh whisper, "She's early...way early. This is bad Dick. Way bad."

Dick stuck out his tongue, ever so faintly as he looked to the ceiling, "I know, Wally. We need to do something. I'll look after Jai and Iris, you two go to the hospital. Now." Dick pushed Wally out of the room, and the speedster ran to his own bedroom, seemingly to help Artemis pack. Richard tapped his foot rhythmically on the floor, gazing at the clock on the painted wall, but not taking in the time. He bit his lip, "_Man_ that escalated fast..."

* * *

Wally arrived from the hospital, red in the face and weary. He brushed past Dick, strode to the kitchen, and threw open the fridge, grabbing something to eat. "They stopped the labour." He stated, thickly. He slammed the fridge door closed, and started losing it- hunger and tiredness never did Wally any good. He sprang up, and slammed his fist into the freezer door, spitting out words without thinking, "Halted it. The babies aren't here. It's congested, discontinued, brought to an-" Cold toast, long since placed by Artemis before their departure, drew Wally's attention. His splotchy hands reached out for the bread and placed it onto a paper plate. He rubbed his stubble and sat down on the floor; he was exhausted. Dick sauntered into the room, and took a seat on the flooring too, using the fridge as the back of his 'seat'. He twiddled his thumbs, "I get the message, Dude. But couldn't you have called...you know, to let me know earlier?" His volume was so low as he asked it seemed he was speaking more to himself.

Wally almost dropped his head, to look at Dick. A sad smile forcing on his chapped lips, "Phone died. I didn't know myself, what to do." His voice was raspy and strained, "I've never felt so..._lost." _Wally looked at his lap, at the small crumbs sprawled all over it. Dick laughed quietly, and placed his palms down onto the cold plastic. He allowed Wally to continue.

"They prevented the contractions and stuff...whatever they did. But now she has to stay at the hospital, so they can monitor her. I guess they're going to deliver as early as possible, with it still being safe. They're looking at 32 weeks. It's gonna be a long two weeks." Wally looked at his palms with his sad, dull green eyes, sniffing slightly.

Dick squeezed Wally's stiff shoulder, trying to calm him down. Dick took of his shades, placing them onto the counter above them, "While you were gone, Iris lost a tooth. Jai and I went to the park...it was fun. Made me think of Marie." Dick's breath delayed slightly as he puffed out his cheeks and stared into space. To say it was awkward was an understatement- and a large one at that.

Wally nodded, understanding that his friend was trying to brighten the mood. He rubbed his own sleepy eyes, "Well, you better go home. Can I call you when I head back to Artemis? Feel free to stay here with Zee...if you want." The raven haired man raised himself up and nodded curtly, escaping from the tension-filled room. Wally listened to the slam of the front door and breathed heavily.

He convinced himself that everything was going to be fine as he made his way into Jai's room. The sleeping toddler gurgled slightly, and stretched in his cot. Wally melted, and watched his son for a few moments, before making his way into Iris' room.

She was also sleeping, though on the floor, spread out in the centre of books and pieces of homework. Wally massaged his temples, before lifting Iris from the floor. She smiled a lazy smile, and fluttered her eyes open, squinting. Wally placed her into bed, bringing a finger to his lips, "Shh. Sleep." Iris obeyed instantly, closing her eyes again.

After stroking his daughter's hair, Wally left for the living room, catching Dasher by surprise. She caught onto his mood, and stayed quiet, nuzzling into his side as he flicked on the TV and stared at it. He wasn't even sure what he was watching. A relief spread over him as realization hit. Everything was going to be fine; Artemis was been cared for, watched. The babies would come sooner than expected, yeah, but even they would have great care over them. Wally smiled slightly, the only thing he needed to worry about, was thinking up names for the duo when they arrived.

* * *

Dick almost fell out of bed; scared out of his skin. A cold sweat had developed on his forehead, and he breathed deeply. The shrill ringing of the phone pierced the soundless night. He rubbed his eyes with haste, and dropped his feet off the side of the bed, letting them do the work. He arrived at the phone, grabbed it with gusto, and answered in a gruff, somewhat sleepy, voice, "Grayson, how can I help?" His pupils dilated, the voice on the other end was fast, excited...classic Wally. The speedster hung up without waiting for Dick's answer, leaving the raven haired man to rub his forehead and smile lopsidedly.

He gently shook the figure in his bed, and opened the curtains to the side of the divan, letting dawn light seep in. "Wally's about to leave for the hospital, they're inducing Artemis birth; not as early as they thought either; almost thirty-three weeks!" The man could barely hold back his enthusiasm and Zatanna stretched lazily, oblivious to it. Blinking slowly, yawning, Zatanna grabbed Dick's pillow and covered her face with it, "Good. Can I sleep now?" Dick shook his partner even more abruptly at her muffled, indolent answer.

Zatanna slapped the immature human back, snarling slightly, before regaining her composure. She was never a morning person, and even though her best friend was about to go into labour, she wasn't planning on becoming one. She shuffled out of bed, stretched once more, and summoned long-since packed bags, "Why did it have to be this early...in the morning?" Zatanna stifled a yawn.

Dick shrugged, "I guess the doctor's want it over and done with; do you _know _how demanding Artemis is? I can only imagine her now; we've seen her when she's pregnant, how she acts with Wally...but now she wants _them _out..." Dick gritted his teeth, and Zatanna shuddered. The man sighed, "You sure you want to go?"

Zatanna smirked, "Do you we need to pick up Jai and Iris?"

The duo arrived predictably late. Dick couldn't bring himself to go watch Artemis...push, so he set himself down next to a sleeping Iris. Placing a restless Jai onto his shaking lap, Dick shut his eyes. He just wanted it to be done with. Zatanna hurried into the birthing room; Dick listened for her shriek of glee, smiling. Then the waiting game began.

Wally paced in and out of the room several times, and with each door opening of his, Dick heard Artemis cursing and shouting at anyone and everyone she could. Still, even though Zatanna was been scolded like a teething puppy, she didn't leave the room...and after a while, neither did Wally.

And it started to scare Dick. He already had many questions- why the induction was at the crack of dawn, why the doctor's weren't performing a caesarean to get it over with...why Wally still wasn't out...

His latest question was answered as Iris leapt out of her spot, and hurried to her father, who was finally in the doorway again. He looked unkempt and in pain, and yet a smile highlighted his features. He gave Dick a one-handed thumbs up; his other hand was in bandages, hanging by his side. Dick raised an eyebrow, and Wally smirked, "She broke my fingers." He stuck out his tongue slightly, and motioned to the room behind him, "Do you wanna meet them?"

Dick nodded, almost wetting himself, though he knew the question was meant for Iris, who was also nodding, jumping up and down. Both, however, followed Wally into the room with care. Wally smiled lightly, "We have to be fast, Doctor's want to take them away- just to make sure everything's fine." Iris nodded, and Dick kept a poker face on, leaning over a sleeping Artemis to get a better look at a cot in the corner of the room. Wally couldn't seem to wipe the smirk off his face; nor could he choose who to look at with pride.

He settled for his newborns, and rightly so; they squirmed slightly, and balled their fists. They looked strikingly different; one with only fine wisps of hair, and the other with a bushy black mess atop its head. The latter was also far larger than it's 'twin'. It was more vigorous, brasher. It curled it feet, kept throwing its chubby arms into the air, and cried at the top of its lungs. Twin Number one, on the other hand, lay quite still. Its breathing was the most animated thing about it. It was petite, paler and pursed its pink lips ever so slightly. Wally looked at them both with pride...as did Dick, and Iris. Even Jai, at long last three and two months, watched his new siblings keenly.

Dick shuffled his feet, and asked a long bottled up question, "Boys or Girls?"

Wally rolled his eyes, "Neither." He smirked as Dick had to think for a moment. Wally chuckled, "I'm sure you're pleased meet Bartholomew-_Richard_...and Magnolia-Jade."

Dick rubbed his hands together, "Ooh. Hyphenated. I like it!" He couldn't suppress his happiness...but then Artemis woke up. She rubbed her stomach, grimacing, and raised her eyebrows, "They're middle names. And we plan to shorten the first names too."

Wally shuffled uncomfortably, "Yeah, Maggie for Magnolia...you know, we just thought, with us having Iris, we might as well continue the tradition of flower names. That way, any future girl's will-" He heaved as Artemis kicked him in the stomach. Her whole demeanour stated 'no more'.

"That doesn't explain Bartholomew..." Dick trailed on, gazing at the babies, stilling trying to work out which was the female, and which was the male of the couple.

Wally swallowed, "We'll shorten that too. To Barry."

Artemis sat up slightly, observing her spouse, who bit his lip and looked at the floor. He looked like he was regretting every word. Artemis seemed momentarily angry, before sighing and looking at Dick, who was also watching Wally with caution. "When it's not 'too soon' we will, maybe even to Barty as to not..." Artemis looked to her lap, almost for support, before starting with new wording, "For now, I'm happy shortening it to Mew-Mew."

Wally turned quickly, to stare at his wife, "You're kidding...right?"

Jai clapped his hands, and danced on the spot, "LIKE A KITTY!?" He looked back to his brother and sister, cocking his head, "They don' seem like cats..." He shrugged and sat down on the floor. Wally snapped out of his little daze and grabbed his son off the shining white tile. Dick threw his head back, laughing. Iris stole a look at her siblings, shaking her head sadly, "What have you gotten yourselves into?" She asked, with an air of innocence.

**There. Bartholomew was named that for a reason. The second storyline is coming in. Magnolia...that was just on a whim. Plus, kinda thought the whole boy/girl twins would be cool in the future- Iris and Maggie VS Barty and Jai type stuff? Hahaha.**

**Also, done for Svetlana, a friend, who recently had her twins- though only one made it. I think the sub-conscious part of me wanted to represent this in the story, but keep it happy.**

**The West twins were born in the middle of April. :3**

**Peace.**

**Please review. **


	35. Irrevocable Invitation

**Irrevocable Invitation **

**Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter; stay with me, and thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

**PLEASE GIVE ME IDEAS FOR CHAPTER NAMES STARTING WITH J, K, P, U and V, if you get the chance. Thank you.**

**Enjoy,**

**To:**_ Iris West_

**When:**_16__th__ April, 3.00pm till 17__th__ April, 3.00pm_

**Where:**_ My house!_

**_P.S _**_Dad's don't know yet, so to make sure people want to come, so they have no choice, please reply with word of mouth as soon as possible. _

Iris handed the pink, glittery slip to her father. She had already said yes to Alice, but she still needed parental permission- which she knew she would squeeze out of her father. He rubbed his bruised eyes, yawned and handed her the slip back, "That's a yes to the pizza, order ten." His words were slurred, and he blinked slowly, stumbling towards the living room, and dropping onto the couch. The family had only yesterday brought Magnolia and Bartholomew home; but that had been 24 hours of no sleep, not counting the hours of slumber lost in the nearly three-week long hospital visit.

A shrill cry made Wally stiffen up. He groaned and dragged himself out of the room, whimpering. He was so tired. And that was just about Iris' only leverage. If her parents were exhausted; which they most certainly were, they most likely wanted everyone out of their faces...the sleepover would mean almost two days of Iris-free-baby-care. The red-head doubted that anyone would pass up on an opportunity like that.

She reached her parent's room, and threw open the door. Artemis was sprawled on the bed, holding the black-haired fighter, Magnolia. It was difficult to see that someone so boisterous and strident could be female...but Mags defied all odds, and anyway, the West's were not an average family.

Artemis' gaze was fixed on the blaring TV. Iris popped up onto the bed, and slid the invitation under her mother's nose. Without looking at it, Artemis was already smiling, "Yes. Go." Her words didn't cut Iris like they would have in any other situation, and the seven-year old bounced off the bed, did a twirl and left to pack her bags independently.

Three hand baggages, two pillows and twelve plastic bags of food later, Iris was sitting on her front doorstep. She had received the invite in the post days before, but since her parents were in the hospital, she hadn't gotten a chance to show them- at one point; she had even worried that she wouldn't be able to make it to the little get together.

She tapped her foot lightly; she couldn't wait to see Alice again. Since they had moved house, and Iris had moved schools, she had been awfully lonely. It was tough, not having your polar opposite stand up for you when the going got tough. Iris shut her eyes, listening to the wind blowing through the trees. A few birds conversed to her left, and she could faintly make out the purring of a cat by the pond to her right. The voices of nature were disrupted by a loud horn- one that belonged to a modified, midnight blue jeep. Iris stood up, hauling her bags behind her. She walked slowly up to the car, keeping her distance, while holding a confident smile on her face.

The tinted window rolled down, exposing a smiling man with a buzz cut. His dazzling blue eyes were jolly faces on their own, and his grin was gleaming. He motioned to the back of the car, and rolled that window down too. Alice almost toppled out of the open window. She waved frantically, and opened the door. Iris obeyed the motion of Alice's father, Derek, and threw herself into the car. It was gonna be an awesome twenty-four hours.

The car glided across the asphalt, breezing past shops, and soon, past homes. Iris recognised Palo Alto instantly- almost the second the car drove into the all-too-familiar town she'd been brought up in. Still, she stopped herself trying to remember all the good things about the place as tears began to brim her gleaming eyes. She sniffed and looked to Alice for support. The blonde gave a reassuring smile, and placed a small, creamy hand onto Iris' shoulder. "Almost there!" Alice stated, trying to whisper. Iris nodded in excitement.

They arrived mere minutes after Alice's words. The jeep came to a halt beside a row of homes, and Derek effortlessly parked between two tightly spaced cars. He jumped out of his side, and opened the door for his daughter and Iris. Alice gave one fleeting look at her somewhat modern home. It was stark white, rose bushes in the front garden. A few wooden beams and contemporary finishes decorated the windows and door. Alice saw the house every day, but to Iris, who hadn't been there in a few months; it was like living in reminiscence.

Derek grabbed her bags, and strode into the home. Alice arched a golden brow at Iris, and then also followed suit. Iris stayed outside the home, gawking at it, trying to remember everything that she had ever done there.

She'd lost her second tooth there; it had been at her first sleepover. She remembered it slipping out of her fingers, and watching in disgust as Alice's Great Dane, Sherlock, ate it in a single go. Iris shuddered, but secretly wondered whether Sherlock had excreted it, as Dasher had excreted her mother's favourite necklace.

Iris tried to think of another warming memory. It came knocking after Iris began fishing around. She remembered coming over there, every second night, to work on homework. Alice's second father was a teacher, and he would always help them, even giving them hints to what they would do in the future schooling world, and tutoring them until they could recite the whole page of homework. She giggled, Paul was quite the teacher. She knew if she put her mind to it, she would most probably be able to remember word-for-word a page from three years ago, because of his teaching technique.

On the topic of Mr. Ives, or Paul, Alice's second father, Iris quite clearly remembered meeting him. It was after school one day, that she and Alice walked home alone. Alice had invited Iris over- it would be the first, but not the last time doing so. They arrived, cold and worn out at Alice's home. The girl had made it quite obvious she never spoke about family at school...and Iris was surprised, and she kinda guessed why. With two fathers, she most probably would have fun made of her; Iris was laughed at for the hair colour she was born with! Alice didn't judge, or sneer at Iris though...so Iris didn't at Alice either, though it did confuse her, at the time as to why Alice was in the particular situation.

Iris snapped out of her thoughts, and turned around. She looked quickly (and longingly) at her old home across the road. Its high support beams were a newly painted black, and the roof had been re-tiled. The garden was landscaped to un-recognition and perfection; her little wild flower garden was nowhere in sight, in its place were pompous crocuses, pretentious lilies, showy roses and a few lilacs. Iris upturned her nose, and balled her fists. Her father would hear about this...after she got home, that was. She almost forgot that she was in fact visiting her friend.

She quickly jogged to the front door, opening it. High ceilings, also white, and polished wood floors greeted her. She remembered sliding on them a few years ago, with only a pillow to stop her bottom from sliding across the timber. Kicking off her shoes, Iris strode though, into the largely metal kitchen. Paul slaved away, over a hot frying pan. He looked down at Iris, through his glasses which were placed on the tip of his nose. He pushed them up, smiled, and scratched his bald head. "Who are you again?" He chuckled and winked, seeing that Iris was shocked, "Don't worry Miss West; Alice is in the garden with her other guests." Iris giggled and nodded, walking in the direction of his eyes.

She strode out into the garden, feeling the mowed lawn under her bare feet. She breathed in, controlled herself, and ran (slowly) to Alice, who was sat beside a few other girls. Iris bit her lip; she didn't know a single one of them, and they all looked far prettier than her. She was dressed in a plain brown dress, a white tee under it. She had plastic, pink earrings in her eyes and had only her devilishly good looks (which composed of freckles and bright orange hair) to rely on. She put her arms behind her back, and shyly approached the small table when she realised that Alice had not yet noticed her. She stood awkwardly for a moment, listening to their conversation: It was something about Facebook. Weren't they a bit young?

When their conversation drew to a close, Iris smiled and waved, "Hi." That caught Alice's attention...but also the somewhat unwanted attention of the other three girls, who all looked at her like she was vermin. Alice stood, laughing, and offered Iris a seat. The girl politely refused. Alice quickly moved onto introducing the girls to each other, "That's Cody Martin. She goes to school with me; came as soon as you left, but she's two years above us." Iris counted on her fingers as the brown-haired girl gave a quick wave, not looking at Iris and concentrating on whatever was on her phone screen. If her calculations were correct, Cody was nearly ten...

Alice shrugged and pointed to the next girl, another blonde, though not naturally, with very long eyelashes. She was slightly brushed with makeup, and looked...flawless with it on. Iris scrunched up her nose, and Alice smiled, "This is Kaydee Fletcherman. She's a neighbour, twelve years old though." Kaydee smirked, and Iris smirked back...quite astounded when Kaydee rolled her eyes and became preoccupied with watching Cody do...whatever she was doing on her phone.

Alice shuffled her feet, smiling apologetically. She motioned to the last girl, who cocked her head to the side, letting her auburn plaits fall also. Alice opened her mouth, but the golden-brown haired girl giggled, and raised a hand, before moving it to shake hands with Iris, "I'm Ivory Hindman, three years older than you. I live across the road from here; you probably saw it, big flower garden out front, black beams, refurbi-"

Iris snarled and snatched her hand away, "Yeah...my old house. I know it." Ivory looked unimpressed, and crossed her arms. Alice looked at Iris, and then back at Ivory, before clapping her hands once, and trying to smile, "How about I ask Dad to bring us some snacks? We can watch a movie out here?" She pointed to the undercover projector, and Iris' eyes moved from said item to a white wall.

Cody scoffed, "Which one?" Ivory covered her mouth, to try and stop laughing. Alice looked crest-fallen, but decided to play it safe, "What do you mean...which one? I have lots of movies! Maybe something Disney, if that's what you mean?" Kaydee shook her head, silently laughing.

At her question, Derek strode over to the girls, placing a large plate of food onto the table; Iris recognised some of the snacks that she had brought there...honestly, she didn't want to share them with the girls. Alice glared at Ivory, who shrugged, "I suppose I meant _that _one." She pointed to Derek, who was returning back to the house. Now it was Iris' turn to look blasé as Alice's lip quivered and she looked away from her guests.

Iris glared at the girls, and stood up straight, "You have a problem with Alice's parents?" Kaydee got to her feet, perhaps feeling left out as she had not yet spoken. The girl stuck out her tongue at Iris, who just raised an eyebrow. Cody continued to play with her phone, "And what if we do?" She asked, smiling slightly.

Iris stepped closer to the table, and slammed her palms down onto it. A few years of hero-training, and she'd learnt how to be slightly intimidating to the bad-guys. Cody flinched, Kaydee backed away, and Ivory squeaked. All three composed themselves as Iris relaxed slightly. She put on her sweetest voice, fluttered her eyelashes and rocked on the balls of her feet, "If you have a problem, kindly don't show it. Or get out if you must. See: Derek and Paul did a way better job at raising Alice, then, for example, your parents did with you."

Ivory scoffed, raising herself to Iris' height. Alice panicked, "C'mon guys, let's stop now."

Iris shook her head, "I'm not letting these girls push you around. I don't care what they might say to me, but I'm not letting anyone humiliate you. Paul and Derek are nice anyway..."

At last, Cody put her phone down, also standing. She smiled pleasantly and put on an air of innocence, "Oh, Iris. We're not pushing Alice around at all! I, or we, just have our own opinion on the matter. Just like I, for one, have my view on you."

Iris shrugged, and balled her fists, "Yeah? And what would that be?" Alice placed a hand onto Iris' shaking shoulder, but retracted it fast, giving a warning look to the shaking speedster. Iris sucked in a deep breath: _I can't vibrate here. I have to keep calm. _She sighed, and backed away slightly. Cody sniggered and looked to Ivory for sustainability, before continuing her mockery, "My view? Well, even if my parents did spoil me a little, even if, as you say, they raised me wrong, at least their genetics didn't screw up with the creation of me."

Ivory snorted, "Yeah, and at least mine are rich enough to buy me real clothes." She pulled slightly on Iris' dress, "They care about me! They would never allow me to leave the house wearing rags!"

Kaydee moved close to Iris, and smiled, "So the lesson we've learnt from this?" Her smile turned into a frown, "Your parents are nothing but screwed up losers. They're probably uneducated, inbred scum. And you seemed to have picked that up too."

"ENOUGH!" Alice stomped her foot on the floor, hardly making noise, but it was too late. The words were out, and hot tears were already falling down Iris face. She punched square Kaydee in the jaw, forgetting her strength. "From what I've seen; you three only degrade others to make up for what you lack; a self-esteem, good wording and an attitude to life. You're trying to compensate for your lack of confidence, by sinking the self-confidence of others...and honestly, I don't understand why you..." She looked to Alice, "Are friends with them." With one rattled breath, Iris ran from the scene, concealing her speed until she was out of the house, down the street and out of Palo Alto.

She bolted home, and sprang into her parent's room. Her tears had dried with how fast she had run, but she wanted to cry all over again in her mother's arms. To her disappointment, Artemis was out-cold. Iris surveyed the room; Magnolia and Bartholomew were in their cots, and Wally was asleep on the floor. She let herself out of the room, and strode into her own.

She moved to her desk, and scrunched up the invitation which lay on it. Growling slightly, she turned on the TV. "Nothing is ever like you remember it." Iris jumped out of her skin, turning on her heel to face the source of the words. It just so happened to be Nightwing. She let out a relieved sigh and bit her lip, "How much did you see...at the party, I mean?"

Dick shook his head, laughing slightly, and spread his arms so she could run into them, which she did. He spun her around and held her tight; he didn't particularly think what she did was right...but he was a biased man, and believed the three other girls were in the wrong. He didn't want to hurt iris, he had to be there for her. "I saw enough to know that you shouldn't associate with them." He ran a hand through Iris' scarlet hair, in a parental fashion, to calm her down.

"That party sucked." Iris stated, pushing away from her uncle. Nightwing laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah...but don't say that in front of your mom and dad..." He knew they'd kill him for teaching Iris the term; and they ALWAYS knew it was him. After a moment of silence, Iris looked up at Dick with her big green eyes, inclining her head, "Who let you in, anyways?"

**There. That took me AGES to get out of my system. I apologise for the long length of it. **

**The next chapter does not even have a plan to it, as many of my future chapters do, so I'm unsure on how long it will take. Please bear with me and review.**

**Hope you enjoyed,**

**-fish**


	36. Just Kidding

**Just Kidding**

**Prompted by oaktavor**

"_**With every just kidding, there is a truth. Wally hates to tell the truth"**_

**Thank you so much! 10 reviews for the last chapter!? EEEEEKK! Seriously elated!**

**Stay tuned for frequent reviews; k, l, m, n and the first part of o are written! :3 **

**This chapter is set in late May- the babies are a tiny bit more than a month.**

"Daddy? What is egg made of?" Jai pushed his fork into his omelette, spinning it around. He sniffed it suspiciously, and cocked his head to the side. Wally moaned as he took a seat next to the boy, "That's just what it is- egg." He didn't want to tell his son that he was devouring baby chickens- anything with the word 'baby', Jai had a soft spot for. Jai scrunched up his nose, "Na-ah. Nothing's _that _boring."

Wally sighed. Sometimes he regretted telling extravagant tales; it's all his kids ever wanted to hear from him. "Just kidding, son." He put his hands together, and rested his chin on them, "They're actually made from Daisies- you know, yellow middle, white petals? " Jai stared at Wally in air, and after moments thinking over what he had said, he smiled toothlessly and nodded.

* * *

"Dad. Where are we?" Iris tapped her foot impatiently; she was late for soccer practise, and she knew her coach would make her run laps when she got there. She pressed her face to the window of the car, waiting for her concentrating father to speak up. He stopped the car, and spun around to look at his daughter; he had no idea where he was, but, with his childlike attitude, he couldn't resist, "In the car."

Iris grunted and threw her head back, _"Every time!" _She mumbled under her breath, cursing her father's antics. He had become quite fond of that answer. Wally chuckled and gripped the steering wheel, taking out his phone and looking for an online navigator. While he typed away, Iris bothered him again, "No seriously, where are we?" She looked at him gravely, and flared her nostrils. Wally rolled his eyes, and put his phone away; there was no signal.

He sighed, and looked at the wheel, before slowly turning to look at Iris. "I guess I should have told you earlier..." He tapped the wheel and bit his lip- he loved playing this game. Iris' eyes became alert and she straightened up, "Told me what?" She asked slowly, with a questioning look upon her face. "Well...while we were driving, we went through a wormhole. I was afraid to tell you...because it's going to be tough to get back." Iris opened her mouth in shock, but Wally continued, interrupting her, "Now, this may freak you out...but, well...Honey, we're on Saturn."

Iris' mouth dropped to the floor. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head- and then she passed out. Wally swore under his breath.

When Iris came to, she was still in the car. Wally gave her a small smile, "I was...just kidding, Irey." Iris gritted her teeth, and dug her nails into her arm. She started going red...and Wally knew he needed to turn things around, "Wow!" He waved his head, "Woah! Calm down! I thought saying that would..." He dropped his sound-level, "_Reassure you_." Iris looked at him with suspicion, arching her brow. Wally nodded, "When you passed out, I reversed the car...and we went back through the wormhole, arriving outside our house." He looked to his left- their home was directly in his view. Iris gawked at him, hardly believing her ears.

* * *

Artemis was unpacking the bags in the kitchen. She had gone home on her own from the supermarket, having lost Wally and not having a phone to call him. She knew full well he would run home after a fruitless search, and didn't worry much. She placed the last few fruits into a cupboard and rolled her tense shoulders.

She heard the front door creak open, and exhaled in relief. The sound of familiar footsteps reassured her it was Wally, and she made her way to the living room to greet him. He stood in the doorway; having heard her also. Spotting him, Artemis put on a disappointed face and placed her arms to her hips, "Where did you go?" She asked, scowling. Wally sighed, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He looked at the floor, perhaps hoping it would grant him support or assurance, before looking his big green eyes into Artemis'.

"Well...I lost sight of you, and thought you'd left the shop. Decided to go wait at the car...but that's when I came across these cars stood around a Ferrari. I thought they were just checking out, so I went as well; I mean, c'mon! It was a sweet ride." His eyebrows flicked up and down a few times, before he continued, "But these guys- not just admiring it. One smashed a window when I came up, and another smashed the door in. Fair enough; you don't leave a car like that unattended. But, as I am me, I had to do something, and ended up getting into a huge fight actually. The owner came, and I was surrounded by the three blacked out bodies of the car thief's, and...well..." He rubbed the back of his neck, and Artemis looked at him doubtfully, "Go on..."

Wally nodded, "I got arrested, pleaded my case- fast, and left." Artemis looked up at the ceiling, and Wally laughed, tossing her something, "Just kidding, I went to buy gum."

Artemis glared at the packet of 'Chewie' in her hand, "That's the most appalling end to any of your stories yet!" She threw the gum to the floor, and stalked away in anger.

* * *

Wally rapped on the solid wood door. The answer was fast, and his mother let him in. He paced into the kitchen, puffing out his cheeks and looking timid. Mary strolled in after him, and started pouring tea, "RUDOLPH!" She called; it seemed almost angry, but Wally knew that was the only she could get his attention those days. After a few minutes of waiting, Rudolph, hunched over and coughing, hobbled into the room. His expression of weariness and pain changed to a big smile of bravery when he spotted his son. After pulling him into a hug, they were torn apart by Mary, who cleared her throat, "What did you want to tell us, dear?" She looked to the TV behind her; she was re-watching the lottery numbers, which she had pre-recorded earlier that day.

Wally didn't speak; he just pulled out a ticket from his pocket and waved it in the air looking joyful. He mouthed two words, and Mary clapped, jumping up and down. Rudolph pulled his glasses out of his shirt, looking bamboozled, "W-what's going on?" He asked, in his hoarse voice.

Wally shook his head and smirked, "WE WON! WE WON THE GRAND PRIZE DRAW!"

Rudolph's look of confusion turned to elation, and he clapped. Wally and his family had won the lottery! That would mean he would get to spoil Iris even more! Rudolph laughed and grabbed Mary by the waist, kissing her neck. She batted him away playfully, and Wally looked away, bashful.

Mary smiled, "The grand draw, dear? How many millions?" She held her chest, welling with pride and Wally raised an eyebrow, then he chuckled and handed her a ticket, "We won $12 and a new bathtub. Grand prize draw at Rissy's school."

Mary slapped him on the arm, and Rudolph shook his head in disappointed, leaving the room. Mary grabbed a newspaper, rolling it up, and started hitting Wally out of the room with it. "Don't come back here, Wallace Rudolph West, until you can compensate for the utter wound you have left in my heart!"

She hit him once, "Mom!"

Twice, "Mom, C'mon!"

Thrice, "Ouch! Mom, It was-"

Four times, "Just-Ah"

Five, "I was just kidding!"

The door slammed in front of his face, and he gritted his teeth. Maybe that was kinda mean...? He chuckled, _"They'll forget about it by morning." _He turned on his heel, and ran back home.

* * *

Wally sat with Dick; they were watching TV and playing cards. Dick had got grief from Artemis all day, asking him to talk to Wally and sort him out. He'd known Wally for a while, and he knew he was immature, just wanted to play around; his kids had even amplified that. He placed his last card down, losing the game. Wally punched the air with his fists, and laughed, before changing the channel, and shuffling all the cards again, "Only got through twenty minutes of that show man! World record much?"

Dick nodded, unable to keep his smile on for long. Wally noticed this, and backed away slightly, looking at him in confusion, "What's the matter, dude? This can't be as bad as Dasher getting run over..."

Dick gaped at Wally, who waved his hand, dismissing the idea, "Just kidding, what's wrong?" Dick looked sickened; it was worse than he had imagined. He slammed his fist into the table and let a look of discontent consume his features. "You have to stop with this 'Just Kidding' stuff, Wall. It's annoying, rude, plain confusing...and it'll turn into another series of 'Boy who cried wolf' stories. Stop before _everyone _loses their trust in you."

Wally flinched slightly, as if Dick's words had burnt him. His attention wavered to his lap, and the duo sat in silence, before Nightwing broke it, "Well...In any case, I still have something to tell you." The raven haired man pushed his glasses down his nose slightly, exposing chilling blue eyes. He waited for Wally to look at him, before he gesticulated, "I'm gonna ask Zee to marry me."

Wally tried to comprehend the words to form a fathomable sentence, but his mouth overtook his brain, "Tha-That's...AMAZING, dude!" Dick chuckled at his wide-eyed friend, and moved closer to him, breathing loud of his nose. Pushing his glasses back to his eyes, he cracked his knuckles, "I'm just kidding!" He stuck out his tongue as Wally's smile fleeted. Dick didn't have time to react as the hot-headed, red-haired man hit him with a pillow. Richard stuck out his bottom lip, suppressing laughter, but Wally hit him again, un-amused, "You're such a _troll, _Dick!" He had one last feeble hit at his muscular brother, before he started laughing.

Iris strode into the room, brushed past the duo with a friendly smile and grabbed an apple from the adjoined kitchen's counter. She raised an eyebrow as she left, smirking to herself, and turned her head to gaze at her father, "You've only just noticed?"

Dick gritted his teeth and punched Wally 'playfully' in the arm, "Yeah, Wal-man. And she's not kidding either."

**Done. Finally. I had so many notes on this, but I had to change a lot. Hope it paid off! Please review!**

**-fish**


	37. Kick and Scream

**Kick and Scream**

**Originally Prompted by oaktavor as 'Kill You'.**

"_**Jai has an embarrassing tantrum and uses his favourite phrase"**_

**Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter!**

**Stay tuned for frequent reviews; l, m, n and the first part of o are written! :3 **

**This chapter is set in mid July- the babies are about three months old.**

**I have 325 reviews, and my goal, though it seems greedy, is to reach 350 by O. I am also setting a goal for myself to reach 400 reviews by the start of 'Season' 3 of my story...if that ever occurs, of course. Stay tuned, review, and enjoy. **

"I think Jai is watching too much TV with you." Artemis grated into Wally for the fifth time that day, with a frown more intense than any she had ever worn. Artemis was a firm believer that for the hours spent in front of the TV, the kids had to do an equal amount of exercise or mini-chores around the house...but she was finding, especially with Jai, that the hours of TV were more than the exercise they could fit in for a day.

She'd banned him from watching, but since Wally always came home from work late, and almost always planted himself in front of the television before eating, Jai had picked up the habit of watching with him before bed. Now, Wally turned to look at his son in the doorway. Wally chuckled softly and shrugged, glancing at Artemis, "I really don't think so, Babe. Father-Son bonding time, see." He grinned but received just an eye-roll from his wife.

Jai padded into the room and walked to his mother. Once he had arrived at his destination, slamming full force into her leg, he tugged her shirt, "Mooommmmyyy..." Artemis bit her lip; that was his call for wanting something. Jai furrowed his brow, stuck out his bottom lip, and looked at the floor, tugging at Artemis' shirt once more, "Moommmyyy- Can I eat now, please?"

Artemis smiled sadly, looking at the analogue clock on the wall, "Later, Sweetie. We only ate thirty minutes ago."

Jai scowled, "I want a cookie."

Artemis nodded in understanding and bent down so she could see him, and he could see her, eye-to-eye. "We can't have everything we want, Jai; especially without manners. Anyways; patience is a virtue." She placed her hands onto his shoulders, but he pouted and shrugged them off, "I'll kill you, BOOM, if you don't give me a cookie!" He stompted his foot, hot tears already falling down his face.

Artemis glowered and shook a finger at her three-year old, "That's no way to talk to your mother, Jaiyden-Robert West; timeout." She was quickly running out of patience as Jai crossed his arms over his chest defensively. She took a shaky breath, "Break for three minutes, Mister, and then come back to apologise to Mommy."

Jai's lip quivered and he left to the corner of the dining room, plopping himself onto a carefully placed cushion (which had a wonderful view of the wall), branded the 'Naughty Seat'. Artemis stood up from her crouch and looked at Wally with concern, "See? Too much violence." She scrunched up her nose and crossed her arms, "Why didn't you do anything, anyways?"

"Huh?" Wally flashed a lopsided grin.

"Wally, were you even paying attention?"

"Um...yeah. There's like, two flies in here; and the stove isn't on" He motioned with his head, and Artemis growled slightly, and turned up the oven to a far too high temperature, turning to Wally with a scowl on her face, "I meant paying attention to Jai!"

Wally looked at the floor, "Yes- have you noticed..." He looked at Artemis, looking smug, "How long his hair is getting?" He ran a hand through his own, while Artemis made a noise that could only be compared to a whistling kettle.

* * *

Wally held Jai's hand tightly, and they made their way into the vast open space known as 'Tuesday Morning Parking'. They strode into the shop, Wally grabbing a trolley on his way in, while Jai grabbed his sleeve. "Wanna pop in here, Buddy?" Jai shook his head with ferocity, and Wally raised an eyebrow, before relaxing and messing-up Jai's hair, "Okay, Bud. Just remember to hold onto Daddy's hand then." He held out a large freckled palm for his son, he clutched onto one of his father's outspread fingers with his far smaller hand.

They made it through the fruit, dairy and meat isles without a problem. Jai hummed to himself, and pointed out a few items that Wally needed to add to the shopping list. Wally zoomed through the aisles, searching for the products he needed. In fact; he only had three more left before the problems began...and all were in the place where Jai had cried out loud before.

The Confectionary Isles; a haven full of chips, dips, candy and everything between. Two long shelves bursting with food; unhealthy, delicious, sweet food; which any speedster had trouble resisting. Wally tried to refrain from looking at anything that wasn't on the boring list Artemis had written out. He grabbed his son's attention, wiped some drool from the little boy's mouth, and took out the shopping list, pointing to the items they needed;

3 Potato Chip bags; Original. _(And I MEAN original, no trying to pass of Salt and Vinegar as such)_

1 Salted Popcorn _(Not CARAMEL)_

1 Box of Family Favourites. _(For Harry's Summer Party. NO NEED TO BUY TWO!)_

Wally and Jai sighed in unison as Wally read over the list, appalled by Artemis' set restrictions. He pushed the trolled over to the popcorn, grabbed the salted popcorn. Jai was already running forwards, to the chocolate section, giving Wally time to grab the Original Chips before walking to his son, who was dribbling over the candy before his eyes.

Wally placed a hand to his son's shoulder, shaking his head, understanding what the pleading eyes meant. Jai understood what the meaning of this action, and burst into tears. Wally backed away abruptly, before throwing himself into the midst of sobbing, snot and mini-punches to the face, arm and legs. He tried to calm his son down, but the louder he 'shushed' him, the louder the kid screamed.

Soon, Jai was on the floor, kicking his legs and hitting the tile, shouting and blubbering at the top of his lungs. Wally stared, wide-eyed at his boy (as did a few other shoppers). He sighed, and grabbed the box of favourites; perhaps Jai just needed to get it out of his system?

As soon as the chocolate hit the bottom of the trolley, Jai stopped crying. The position he halted himself in was by his own creation: clenched fists, a tear-stained red face and awkwardly placed legs. Jai slowly turned his head to look at Wally, before standing slowly, "For me?"

Wally withdrew into his own little shell, and shook his head, by no means surprised when Jai threw himself to the floor again, bawling and lashing out. Wally sighed and pulled Jai up, having no idea how to deal with his behaviour. "Son, stop crying. Calm down. If you be a good boy; I'll buy you something tomorrow." Jai shook his head and let out an ear-piercing scream, resulting in Wally almost dropping the strawberry blond to the floor.

One passer-by scowled, "Control your damn kid, Ginger." She pushed past the squatting duo, and grabbed herself some chocolates. Wally raised an eyebrow; he so badly wanted to retort but-

"Control your mouth, Lady!" Jai had spat it out before Wally could even register it. The woman shook her head angrily, and turned away from them, mumbling profanities as she pulled her trolley away from them. Wally wobbled his finger at Jai angrily, "That's NO way to talk, Young Man." He picked up Jai and plopped him into the baby-seat in the trolley.

Jai didn't take well to this, "I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU DON' BY ME LOLLY!"

* * *

Wally retold Artemis the story over dinner, but it was far too late to punish Jai, who was curled up, asleep in his room.

"I don't understand what we did wrong!" Wally said, rattling with shaking breaths. Artemis patted his hand, and shrugged, "It's a phase, dear."

Wally slammed his fist into the table, "Iris never had _phases _like this; I don't even think she ever had a tantrum in public!"

Artemis nodding in agreement, before sighing, "Well, it's not as bad as Mari, Dick's kid?" Wally nodded, but waited for Artemis to continue, "She shot lasers out of her eyes when she got mad as a kid, and burnt the shop assistant and loads of items; good thing Dick's rich!"

Wally burst out laughing, "I see what you did there!" He wiped away stray tears from his crescent eyes, and smirked, "I suppose you're right."

Artemis sighed, she hadn't said anything funny intentionally, but blamed it on her husband's lack of maturity. Well- at least he had stopped sulking, a phase that Iris had no doubt gotten from him.

She wasn't shocked when Richard stode into the room, also laughing, "You missed out the part where Mari mauled a-" He stopped, and pointed at Wally, smiling at Artemis, "I get it. Rich...Richard." He hugged the archer, who tried to push out of his grasp, "Wally; your wife is a classic comedian!" He hugged Artemis even tighter, and she began to go red, "Artemis you are a God!"

Wally broke down with laughter again.

**There. Done.**

**Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go be mad at myself.**

**Review?**


	38. Lolly Rush

**Wow! It's been such a long time since I updated!**

**I really am sorry, and wish you all the best in this New Year!**

**I've been really low on inspiration, so I prayed for it...but it came in the form of dreams, and though the dreams were filled with Teen Titans, Tangled and the Little Mermaid (which I haven't watched in several years), they did not even hint at Young Justice, so I had to make do.**

**If you guys get the chance, please check out this new forum, which everyone can benefit from! (You type in the usual for fanfiction and add the following****)**

******/myforums/xXRandomnessXx/3075689/****  
**

**Now onto the chapter, which is set at the start of August, meaning the twins are almost 4 months.**

She sat, bouncing up and down and giggling while her friend gawked at her, the piece of gum in her mouth, falling to the floor in a ball. Iris almost screamed as she laughed, going cross-eyed and snorting, "Did I m-mention, sh-sh-sugar makes m-me...HYPER!?" Iris giggled and wringed her hands together, beginning to shake violently, and sway backwards and forwards.

Her swaying stopped momentarily as she spotted a plastic bag, which her friend was trying to hide behind herself. Iris yanked it away from her dark-haired companion, and sifted through it wildly, with a savage expression on her red face. Bethel could only watch in awe as Iris swallowed a mars bar with the wrapper still on, whole. This was the last straw, and Bethel bolted to the door, gripping the handle with a panic-stricken look among her freckled features and bushy eyebrows, "Look, Iris..." She tried to speak slowly as her friend buzzed in excitement, "Ima go get your parents, Kay?" She pushed out of the door, and ran down the stairs before her pal could answer.

Iris was alone, still shaking as she let Bethel's words sink in. They came crushing down, a landslide of thoughts flooding her brain. Though she could not control her vibrating, she could still comprehend words, and those were not good...in essence, she was screwed.

And screwed she was.

Wally made that clear as Bethel walked home. Iris watched her friend turn the corner, and felt a cold hand on her neck. It had taken her about ten minutes to burn off the sugar, but it would take years for Bethel to get over the traumatic experience. It would also mean Iris and Beth would have to become close friends for those decades. Iris had burned off the energy by running rather fast for her age, and Bethel had put two and two together; she'd seen Iris, clad in hero uniform, on the TV before.

Iris turned to look at her father; he looked disappointed, but at least he wasn't angry. He didn't even shake his head, he just gave her a sad smile, "I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less, I mean, you're only seven, and someone was bound to catch on." He sighed and stretched slightly, and then, with sluggish movements, he began to leave the room. At the doorway, he turned once more, to look at Iris with anguish filled eyes, "The only thing I'm worried about, Iris, is that others will catch on too."

Of course, Iris had not gotten away from the lolly rush with a simple 'worry-talk.' Artemis had flipped when she had calmed down enough to look eye to eye with her daughter, and afterwards Wally lectured her for hours about the importance of 'hiding behind the mask' and 'suppressing gifts'. Blah, blah, blah- she'd heard it all before, she honestly didn't care.

It was accidental anyway, she didn't even LIKE Bethel that much; she never wanted to lose control to the extent that her secret ID would be in jeopardy. She had never wanted to possibly expose and betray her father, and mother's secret identities on the way. It wasn't like she was begging for the month of sweet-free food and a week of no-friends punishment either. She didn't want to pass her father, and for him to look at her with frustration and regret for the rest of her life- and yet she couldn't go back, not now.

As she sat in her room, and let these thoughts take over, however, she got a rather unneeded plan. Pushing herself up, she checked the corridor for signs of life, shut her door quietly, and placed a short stool by her window. Pushing open the glass pane, she climbed out as silently as she could onto the roof. It was only when she was upon it, perching, that she heard the voices.

Her parents, Harry and two women that Iris had never seen before were on the porch, sitting directly beneath her. If she was to even shuffle, she knew she'd be caught out, so she sat unmoving and, rather guiltily, listened into their conversation.

The scarlet haired woman directly underneath her was laughing heartedly at something Iris' father had said. Artemis crossed her arms and smirked smugly, and the chocolate haired woman by her side leaned forwards, her thin eyebrows raised to the top of her forehead. Her teeth, reminicent of the ones of a mouse, poked out over her lips slightly as she joined in laughter with the red-velvet haired woman. Harry clapped and shook his head, "That's enough Myra!" He chuckled and Myra, the mousy one, sniffed.

The red-haired one, however, continued laughing, and through her high-pitched giggles, she spoke in a breezy voice, "On that topic, I thought Batman was a _beast _at my age!" Myra clasped a hand to her mouth, laughing, but Wally and Artemis hooted and sniggered like there was no tomorrow.

Finally, Myra removed her hand, and, with a light blush on her features, looked at Artemis, "Actually, I was quite fond of heroes when I was a bit younger too! Don't you think he was nice, Claudia?" Artemis raised an eyebrow, and Myra went on, "The Flash, he was the man for me." She swooned slightly, and Artemis expressed amusement half heartedly, she gazed at Wally, who had dropped his eyes to the floor and was chewing on his bottom lip. Claudia, the one with the artificially painted hair clapped, "I used to think Kid Flash was a GOD! Close to my age, fast, funny..."

Artemis sighed, "Don't forget irrevocably handsome, smart and a real charmer!"

Wally pouted slightly, for act, and Harry shrugged, "Wally, looks like your wife has the hots for the speedster...I'm sure she loves you too." Harry chuckled, "I still have a soft-spot for the star trek characters!" Iris rolled her eyes and tried to unhear everything.

The conversation dimmed away like the candles illuminating the scene, and after a few more minutes of waiting, the five began clearing the table. It was Iris' chance. She leapt from the roof and sped over the gate. As soon as she was out of view, she became a blur of colour, speeding past homes, and cars, until she came face to face with a familiar mansion.

She strode down the pebbled path, and let herself in. She knew her way around the place like it was her own, making her way up the spiral staircase to her left. She came into the room she had targeted at the top of the steps and coughed quietly.

The other inhabitant the room placed his hand onto his hips, "Who let you in, aye?" Dick chuckled and hoisted Iris up off the floor, "What's my favourite girl doing here at this time?" He nuzzled her nose with his and she giggled, pushing away, "I need help."

"Shoot."

"Who?"

Dick sighed, "No, I meant, go on, and tell me." Iris nodded and dropped to the floor, pacing for a moment, before looking up at her surrogate uncle with large eyes, "Earlier today, I was on a sugar high." Dick made a noise of disapproval, but Iris continued, "I made some mistakes, and...I need to go back into time to fix them. Someone found out, and, I guess you could say it's the only way."

Dick furrowed his brow, "I could pay this kid to keep quiet, you know..."

Iris shook her head, "Money doesn't solve everything, and Bethel's a squealer."

Dick nodded, "Sorry bubbah, I can't help you. I'm just a rich guy with a lot of gadgets; no time machine though."

Iris sulked, "What about Zee? Doesn't she have a spell or-"

Dick ran both hands through his hair and shrugged, "I dunno, kiddo." He sounded dejected as he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Me and Zee aren't on good terms at the mo."

Iris raised an eyebrow, "Can you give me her number then? Plus...I thought you two were getting married? Wally told me."

Dick chuckled at Iris' use of her father's name, but ignored the question and flicked out his phone, "Iris, I wanna help, I do, but I don't think we can go back into time; too much at stake. Just...just tell me the kid's address."

Iris craned her neck, "You're not going to kill her...are you? I have Auntie Jade for that."

Dick looked uncomfortable, as he changed footing for a moment, but chuckled anyway, "No...urgh...just tell me." He forced a cheap grin, and Iris told him what he needed to know, among things he probably didn't even _want _to know about Bethel.

She returned home an hour after she had left, climbed into her room, and threw colouring books and pencils around the place. A knock at her door seconds after she had arranged the place was shakily answered by, "Come in." Apparently, Artemis was only checking on her, and the conversation ended with an, "M'kay."

The next day, Iris came down into the kitchen to find her father staring in confusion at his phone. Maybe he needed help with it again? She made her way over to him, and he raised an eyebrow and ruffled his daughter's hair, "Just in time, Irey. Dick says, 'It's done. Tell Iris to come to mine later.'" Iris cocked her head, even she was a bit confused, and yet, she still had school to attend- their holidays would begin in a few days. "How would Dick expect you to even get there on your own?" Wally thought for a moment, mumbling to himself, and Iris slipped away, leaving for school before she could get caught out.

* * *

She promptly arrived at Dick's door after a few hours in class. He answered just as fast, and smirked. She returned it with more enthusiasm, "Bethel won a holiday to Europe! She's got eight weeks in France, Germany, Russia, England..._everywhere_!"

"Wow!" Dick faked his surprise, sarcasm trickling out with his words, "I really do wonder who could have made that ha-" Iris smothered him with a strong hug before he could even finish.

**There. Done. I'm not sure I like this one, but please review anyway. I did try; doesn't that count!?**

**I do not own Young Justice. **

**The next chapter is called Missing You.**


	39. Missing You

**Missing You**

**Fast update in reply to the number of reviews I got. Almost at my target of 350, so I'm bringing it up to 380. If I can get that many reviews before the last chapter of this season, I will continue, if not, I'll be moving onto other things. Sorry guys. ;-;**

**2015 would have been the birth of Dawn and Don, Iris and Barry's children. I suspect Artemis and Wally would have tied the knot, in my head-canon, in late 2016. I think they would have waited a bit, and Iris would have been born in 2018. Since she is seven now, that makes the year 2025, ten years since the birth of Dawn and Don. **

**If it has been five years since what I am writing about, the event must have occurred in 2020, when Dawn and Don were five, and Iris was two. Jai, Magnolia and Bartholomew, would not have been around. **

**This is set in the middle of August, the twins are four months. **

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"All aboard the Porridge Train!" Wally moved the spoon in his hand around the table, before bringing it to Bartholomew's mouth. "Chooooooo!" The little boy yelled in response, clapping his hands and staring excitedly at the tantalising food. Wally chuckled and placed the last spoonful of the oat mixture in between the fair-haired boy's lips. Wally tried to feed the boy again, but he shook his head, barely swallowing down what Wally had given him before, "Mew-Mew? You can't seriously be full! You haven't even eaten half the portion Jai normally eats!"

Magnolia, sitting in the chair behind Wally, squirmed in her seat and made a noise of disapproval. She clenched her small fists, and held her breath, going red. Wally rolled his eyes, and picked up her plate, grabbing a spoonful of the apple purée he was feeding her, "Oooh! Look Maggie. The apple express is on its way!" He stuffed the food into her wide open mouth as she giggled. "See, Mew? Maggie just finished a whole bowl! She eats like a speedster! _Why don't you?" _He smirked and avoided saying the last question out loud as he began wiping the excess food away from Magnolia's pink lips.

"Boy, you two really do make a mess!" Wally told the duo from time to time, as they watched him move crumbs around the surface while he cleared the table in preparation for the next two children that would come and eat.

Jai strode into the kitchen, and took a seat just as Wally was wiping the last crumb onto the floor. Wally gave Jai a look as he opened his mouth. It read quite plainly, for him not to call for Artemis. He would be in so much trouble if she found out he was the one encasing the floor in morsels of food. Jai nodded, and smirked, "Can I- Can I please have, erm..."

Wally smiled, "The usual?"

"Everything?"

"I thought so." Wally flung open the fridge, and began piling Jai's plate with various food-stuffs. From pizza to ice-cream, even if it didn't look tempting in the slightest, it was grub at the least.

As Jai began stuffing his face, Iris entered the room. She grabbed a banana, and tried to avoid making eye contact with her dad. He noticed her lack of wording, and took a seat next to her, furrowing his brow, "What's up kiddo?"

"The ceiling." She replied, with a vague smile twitching at her lips. Wally grinned, and kissed her forehead, "Alight. If you need to talk, Daddy's here." Iris nodded in response, and continued eating her fruit in silence.

Wally freed the twins from their high-chairs, and left the room with Jai in tow. Iris threw the mushy part of her banana into the bin, and swiped a loose red hair behind her ear. Sighing loudly, she began to make her way out of the room, bumping into her mother in the doorway. She forced a cheeky grin, which her mother returned, however before Iris could continue on her journey out of the room, Artemis grabbed her by the waist, and grunted, "Obviously, you're not telling me something. Did Dad snap at you or something? Considering today is-"

Iris shook her head, "That's the thing. It's like he doesn't even _know, _Mommy."

Wally sauntered into the room, from the adjoining living room entrance, "I'm not deaf you know. What have I forgotten this time?" He chuckled and put his hands onto his hips, glowing with happiness. Artemis whimpered slightly, and ushered Iris away. Shutting the door behind her daughter, she looked Wally over. His smile didn't waver. He really had no idea.

"Babe, do you know what day it is?" Artemis asked, shutting her eyes and taking in a shaky breath. Wally cocked his head to the side, "It's a Saturday, Arty."

Artemis nodded, "And do you know the date?" She watched Wally closely. He seemed deep in thought, as if the answer held the fate of the world within it or something. He raised an eyebrow, and shrugged, "It's the weekend. The only dates I keep track of are holidays and birthdays."

Artemis swore quietly. Should she really ruin his good mood? He had actually been getting sleep...and if she told him that he had forgotten...he would be crushed. She sighed and despite her better judgement, she knew she needed to continue, "And death dates? Five years, Wally."

Wally's heart skipped a beat and his breath hitched. _"I forgot." _The words came out in a breathy whisper, and he fell to his knees, his hands become white fists as he clenched his teeth.

Artemis bent down to his level, and grabbed his shoulder, massaging it slightly with a look of concern upon her face. She knew no matter what she said at that moment, his mood would not suddenly sky-rocket, but she still wanted to help, "Wally. Go visit your Aunt. Please. Not talking to someone who is going through the same thing; it's doing you more harm than good." She ran a hand through her hair and stood up, "I have to go visit my mum." She shuddered and made her way out of the doorway, leaving Wally to stare at the floor, still on his knees.

* * *

It hadn't taken much begging to get Wally to go. He called Dick quickly, and the uncle stayed with Iris and Jai. Artemis had left moments before his arrival with the twins to go visit her mother.

The red-head finally managed to get his things together, and set out in the car towards Central City, to the same house he had often pigged out in during hazy summer holidays or gone to get fixed up after a tough patrol.

He parked his car outside the somewhat unkempt garden, glancing up at the grey blanket sky that threatened rain. He strode down the gravel path, took a deep breath, and knocked on the newly re-painted red door. He had to wait, though he heard fumbling within the house, something getting knocked over and the sound of keys. Dawn, a short girl with red hair in a bob answered the door. Her face lit up when she saw her cousin. Wally always found it strange that his cousin was so much younger than him, in fact, she was closer to Iris' age than his, but the two got along very well. It was the same with Don. The only bump in the road was that he hadn't seen the two of them for about a year, maybe more: he wasn't counting.

Dawn let him in, and he slipped out of his working boots, instantly making his way towards the kitchen in his cotton socks. "I don't remember the floor been this slippy, Aunt Iris." Wally stated, hearing the sound of pots, pans and humming coming from behind the closed-door he was about to open. Wally heard something smash in the room, and he hurried to open the door, coming face to face with his Aunt, who threw herself into his arms. Wally noticed quite quickly that his shoulder was becoming wet. He pushed his sobbing aunt away, sighing. She sniffed, and began to beam as she grabbed his hand and led him, without words into the living room, plopping down onto the couch. Wally did the same, and the two sat in silence for a moment, before Iris piped up, "How many times have I said, 'Come over, I don't blame you, Barry wouldn't have wanted this?" Iris glared at her adult nephew, before looking at the ceiling whilst blinking back more hot tears.

"Well, how do you know he wouldn't have wanted it, Iris? He's dead." An immense guilt and feeling of regret flooded into the speedster as soon as the words were out, but he couldn't take them back. Iris didn't bite back, however. Her patience was that of a Saints, but her tone still lashed at Wally, making him slouch and pout, "Barry would WANT you to look past his death, and remember him...for him. You knew him so well, Wally, and you know full well how he would have reacted to you ignoring us for years!"

Wally looked at the floor, finding it suddenly interesting, and rolled his shoulders, "I've heard it all before, Iris. I got it. Heard you; loud and clear."

Iris smiled in response, though it was forced, wrinkles creasing around her eyes, "No, kiddo. I don't think you did."

* * *

On Artemis end, things didn't have much of a shining prospect either. She arrived outside of the scummy apartment she had grown up in. Ignoring the stench of rotting...something, she packed the twins into their fold out pram, and strolled around the apartment building, making her way to the entry. At the entrance she called her mother's accommodation number and waited patiently for the door to open.

She let herself into the 'house'. The door was ajar. The place smelt like it needed a good scrubbing down, but Artemis refrained from saying anything. Even though her mother almost always stated what was on her mind, Artemis didn't feel much like hurting the woman's feelings.

The golden-haired archer unstrapped the duo, and picked them both up. Maggie tried to wiggle out of her mother's grasp, while Bartholomew nuzzled into Artemis' chest. "Mom? I'm in. Come and meet them!" Artemis let her presence be known and sauntered into her mother's room. Paula was turning off the TV, obviously about to go greet Artemis herself.

The younger woman placed her children onto the bed and took a seat next to them, glancing up at her mother who was looking at her grandchildren with adoration. Artemis sighed in relief and perked up. _Maybe these two had the admiration they deserved? Maybe Paula wouldn't point out the flaws that Artemis couldn't see in them both?_

Both of those thoughts were incorrect, and Paula stuck her nose into the air, "Which one is female?"

Artemis furrowed her brow, "Magnolia- the one in the pink frilly dress."

Paula sniffed, "Boisterous isn't she? Actually quite brawny...and it definitely looks like she has eaten more than the boy."

Artemis looked at Magnolia, who was punching the air with her tiny clenched fists, and kicking the covers away from her feet angrily. Her attention turned to her son, who was sleeping again. She didn't know why, but he wasn't growing as fast as Maggie, he wasn't as full of energy as she was. The doctors said he was growing at the normal rate though, it was in fact Maggie, like her predecessors Iris and Jai, that was growing too fast; Artemis just wasn't used to that slow development.

_Could it be possible that Barty didn't have the speedster gene? He certainly didn't eat like he had it. _

"Bartholomew." Artemis corrected. Her son wasn't just 'a boy'. He was a precious bundle of joy, and one of the easiest children she had ever had to care for; didn't mean she loved her bubbly and bouncy baby girl any less, though.

Paula shrugged, "I do not see much good coming out of him, if he is so...quiet. It should be the other way around."

Artemis couldn't take it anymore. She'd had enough of the constant critique, "Well, Mother, not everything is written in stone. Not everyone follows your laws. Both of my children...all four of my children, are perfect just the way they are, and if you can't see that, then I might as well go!"

Paula looked confused, "Artemis! How dare you tal-"

"How dare I what? You are their grandmother; you should see them as ideal, amazing and winners every time, even if they are not. You should be able to come over sometimes and care for them, without Iris or jai coming back to me crying after you leave! You should bake cookies, love them and above all else respect them- I don't care if that's stereotypical either. If we try to follow your rules, at least try to follow mine!"

It seemed Artemis' words were lost on her mother, however, as the woman just sniffed and looked in the other direction, "You do not love me. If you dare to talk to me in such a way, you do not love me."

Artemis groaned. _Why did her mother always have to do this? Why did they always have to argue and make each other mad?_ "I do love you, mom, I do. But with you constantly telling me I'm not good enough, a failure, degrading Wally and the kids, and speaking nonsense about, well, EVERYTHING, it's a little tough, to love you I mean."

Paula didn't reply, she continued looking out of her window, smiling sadly. Artemis moaned and shook her head, lifting a grunting Maggie, and a quietly snoring Mew-Mew from the bed, "I hope one day, mother, you see just how wonderful we all are. I hope you see what you have lost."

* * *

Artemis arrived home late. She had stopped for dinner on the way home, and was none too surprised to see only one light on when she opened the door. She put Magnolia and Barty in their cots, before kissing an already sleeping Iris and a frustrated Jai good night.

She wandered into her room, expecting to see Wally sprawled out on the bed, but he was nowhere in sight. She looked around the room in confusion, changed into a tank top and sweat pants, and made her way downstairs.

To her shock, she found Wally sitting in the dark living room on the floor, staring blankly at the wall. She turned on the dimmer lights, and sat down next to her husband, leaning against him. He brushed her hair, and kissed her forehead, before stretching and beginning to stand, "How'd it go?"

"The kids have one less Grandparent."

Wally groaned and covered his face with his hands, "Don't be like that, babe." The words were mumbled, but they were clear as day to Artemis who crossed her arms, "If she calls to apologise, maybe I'll reconsider. Not much of a loss though."

Wally pulled Artemis into a hug as she began to rattle with sobs, which she was desperately trying to conceal. "If it's any condolence, I and Auntie Iris are good now."

"Oh yeah?" Artemis sniffed, the tears already disappearing, and her mood lifting.

"I'm visiting Barry's grave with her tomorrow, and Dawn and Don will be coming for a play date this week."

"How did you go from not talking, to been best friends then, aye?"

Wally sighed and pushed his wife away from him gently, holding her away from him at arm's length. He looked deeply into her eyes, and a half-smile played at his lips. "I realised that I've just been hiding away from this for so long. I think I just needed to accept it; the fact he never met Jai, or Maggie, or Mew-Mew." Artemis smiled sadly, but Wally continued, "Ya know, Babe. I really do miss him. Every day. But I think not talking to Iris about it; someone who was as close to Barry as I, was doing me more harm than good."

"Yeah, that's what I told you."

Wally nodded and embraced his wife, "I hear you now though, loud and clear."

"I know, Wally. I know."

Wally chuckled, and Artemis pushed away, wondering what could be so funny during their special moment. Wally answered before she could ask, "That's what Iris said too!" Artemis rolled her eyes; _simply hilarious. _

**There. Another chapter in the bag. The next chapter is a based a little on a popular Disney movie, but don't be put off. I'm just letting you know as the title is Neverland; not to be confused with the pairing of Superboy and Wendy. **

**Please leave a review. **


	40. Neverland

**Neverland**

**I reached my end of story target; over 380 reviews. And for this last chapter, I received over 15 (not counting numerous reviews for other chapters). I would just like to take this moment to speak-out my undying gratification. Thank you so much to any reviewers who went back and reviewed other chapters to single-handedly bring up the review count. I don't want to single anyone out, but THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart, to everyone who left, even a short, review. Every single one of them means the world to me. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, and though I will continue this story, reviews or not because of the amazing amount of readers, I do still ask of you to leave a small message, or maybe some critique. **

**This is set in the middle of September, the twins are five months. **

**If you guys get the chance, please check out this new forum, which everyone can benefit from! myforums/xXRandomnessXx/3075689/**

**Sorry for the long update. I was so busy, and when I started writing again, I lost interest and got major writers block. Then I started watching Danny Phantom again...and...urgh...I'm just glad I chugged this out after changing it so many times.**

* * *

Jai tapped his spoon rhythmically against the table. His eyes shut tight, his mouth a thin white line as he hummed a tune only he knew. Magnolia giggled next to him, and picked up her own plastic cutlery, beginning to hit it against her metallic dish; once, twice, seven times. Barty grunted, and placed his small hands over his ears, furrowing his brow. He didn't like loud noise, and Jai and his twin were creating just that.

Iris sprinted into the room, Dasher on her trail. She failed to notice a long-discarded object as she sped into the room. She flew into the table before she could even comprehend the bump in the road that one of the twins had left lying around from an earlier play date. Dasher came to a halt, tail between her legs. She began to whimper as Iris' soft wails filled the room, and the loud 'music' the younger children were creating died down.

The loud crash, the sound of smashing plates and cries had come to the attention of Wally and Artemis, who rushed into the room. Wally shook his head, groaning, and Artemis stomped her foot, sending a squeaky toy to the other side of the room. The mess in the room was too much to bear; food covered the walls, and the children were screaming, squealing and doing everything in between. Wally lifted Iris, who was laid upon the splintered, and completely broken, wooden table. She had a bloody nose, and was in shock, but otherwise she was fine. Still, Wally hurried to get her and the others out of the room. Now that Artemis was angry (more so at the mess, then her children), he knew not to get in the way.

Artemis growled slightly, as she grabbed a discarded dish cloth, and began rubbing at the walls, "Why can't you just give me _peace, _for once?" She spat, starting to rub the wallpaper off the plaster walls in her haste to clean them. Wally marched back into the room, straight back, eyes focused on what was directly in front of him. He quickly lifted Magnolia from her seat, trying to succeed in leaving the room without disturbing a rambling and raving Arty...but Bartholomew didn't like been left alone. A high-pitched cry reached Artemis ears, and she snapped.

She threw the dish cloth against the wall, digging her nails into her scalp and forcefully shut her eyes as she fell to her knees. She took the dish cloth again, throwing it to the floor as she began to hit it angrily with her balled fists. Wally could only watch in horror as Artemis sobbed. He semi snapped out of his look of dismay for a moment; long enough to grab Bart, and get out. It wasn't that he didn't want to comfort Artemis; he just knew it would be dangerous.

* * *

The four children could hear her still, even when they were in their rooms ready for bed. Iris closed her eyes, breathing slowly, trying to drown out what she was hearing, trying to forget what she had seen. She heard mumbling, a slamming door, and heavy footsteps coming up the stairs after a few minutes of lying still. The walking person passed her room; another slamming door, and then the house was quiet again. Iris whimpered softly, rubbing her bruised arm- she was using it as an excuse to cry, though it didn't hurt one bit. An hour or so later, she heard heavy footsteps once more. She knew it was Artemis, for they were lighter than her fathers, even though she was dragging her feet up the stairs. She had guessed this _before _her mother passed her room, as she was talking loudly to herself, "All I want is for them to stop giving me grief!"

Iris sat up for a while after that. She listened to her mother and father yell for a bit; they weren't even yelling at each other in the beginning, they were just shouting. She was glad Jai and the twins were deep sleepers. She heard her mum repeat a lot of the same stuff and towards the end the woman was just crying. Iris knew Artemis was tired...but it still kind of scared her. The last thing she heard her father say was something about _being careful for what you wish for. _

* * *

Wally ran into his room, clutching his chest. The fight from last night had taken a toll on him; he hadn't slept well on the couch, but that wasn't why his hair was all over the place on his head, and it didn't explain why he was sweating buckets. He was unblinking and taking shallow breaths, holding a piece of scrap paper in his trembling hand. Artemis, confused, walked towards him, talking the paper as he thrust it towards her:

_Gone to Neverland. See you soon. _

_Xoxo_

_P.s Don't worry; I'll keep them safe._

Artemis scrunched up the paper and laughed, arching her brow. "Huh? What Wally?" Wally looked stone serious and grabbed the ball of paper out of her hands, straightening it out. He locked his jaw, and bore his eyes into hers, "Jai and Iris." His expression changed to one of grief and fear, "They're gone."

Artemis rolled her eyes lazily and placed her hands on her hips confidently, "Just kidding, right? Wally, look, sorry for going all crazy yesterday; but I don't think this is the way to go to get us happy again." She chuckled and moved past him, stopping in the doorway when he didn't reply. She watched her usually positive, fearless husband, take a seat on the bed, covering his eyes with his shaking hands. His shoulders quaked; the sure sign that he was silently weeping to himself. Artemis' hands dropped to her sides, and she shook her head slowly, hurrying out of the room.

She tore through her daughter's bedroom, leaving a mess only a hurricane could. She did the same with Jai's, constantly calling their names, which dripped with fear after each silent answer. After twenty minutes, she even began looking under pillows, in cupboards and in tiny flower pots. The only sign that pointed in the direction Artemis didn't want to face was the open window in Iris' room.

* * *

Constable Fredrik Hyatt was a stout man. Dimples dotted his wide smile as he met the West's, and age-old frown lines creased his face as they began to tell him what had happened. He noted that the woman was incredibly upset over the matter, while the man seemed to have withdrawn into himself. He asked them questions and asked about what they had already tried.

Wally and Artemis spared the Constable details, keeping it short and simple. Wally began, looking at the floor as he spoke in monotone, "We called some friends the morning...the kids...Jai and Iris, went missing." Wally didn't add in that he was anxious to call Batman; _"What if he's too busy to help? I just...I just don't wanna get my hopes up." _

Artemis continued for Wally, who was now gazing at the wall, "We told some f-friends, Megan and Conner, that is, about the m-matter. They said...they said they'd help. So did a few other _(non hero)_ f-friends." Artemis sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. She glanced at Magnolia and Bartholomew, who were playing in the corner of the room- not a care in the world. She looked back to the Officer, a stony expression on her face, "The person we c-counted on most, for his c-connections, of course, was our f-friend Richard Grayson...we called, but his phone is no longer in service."

Constable Hyatt's hat almost fell off. He wrote a quick note into his writing pad, staring in awe at the couple. "_The _Richard Grayson?" He looked at Artemis, mouth agape. She shrugged uncomfortably, and nodded, and Hyatt scratched some more notes into the book, scribbling furiously.

Wally continued the story from there, snapping out of his trance, "I ra-drove to his house, but it was kinda pointless. Dick...Grayson, wasn't home. I reckon he's partying somewhere again." He added the last part nonchalantly, looking at his nails. The Detective continued to write for a few moments, before looking up, and stroking his bushy moustache. He tapped his pen against the book, before snapping it shut, and laying it down on the couch. He stood slowly, and began pacing around the room. Artemis and Wally watched him without interest, before he finally took a seat again, "So...you're reporting three missing people?"

Wally raised an eyebrow, "No, just our kids."

Artemis nodded, "We never said anything about Richard going missing, he's just not home."

The Constable shook his head, "Did this- Grayson- know the children?" Wally and Artemis nodded in unison, and the Constable pushed his hands together, clapping once, "Then it's best to believe that he did it."

Wally stood up, angry, "Let's not jump to conclusions...at least...do some looking around or something." He looked to Artemis, for support, but her eyes were shut, and her nostrils were flaring._ "We have so many more enemies than you think..."_ Wally exhaled, ignoring his pessimistic thoughts, and led Hyatt around the house, stopping every so often so the man could take pictures and write notes down.

The duo arrived at the door to Iris' room, but Wally wasn't quick to open it up. He leant against it, "Mind the mess- my wife looked _everywhere _in the house for them." He flung open the door, staring in shock. The Constable raised an eyebrow, "It looks perfectly fine to me. The only thing I've spotted so far is the open window." He noted that, glanced around the room, and made his way to the next scene.

After the detective left, Wally confronted Artemis. He didn't tell her much of what Hyatt had said, but he did point something out, "We came to Iris' room...but it wasn't a mess. It was clean. Nothing was out-of-place!" Artemis shook her head, afraid to ask if he was joking.

* * *

"_Neverland?_ This is sooo awesome!" Iris grinned as she finished _another _ice-cream sundae. Jai nodded, liking his lips, "Got anymore?"

The pair dug into another large dish of ice-cream, laughing and chatting to each other. Iris looked up from her plate, gesturing to the seat next to her, "You should have some too! It tastes great, Uncle Dick!"

Dick smiled, nodding, "I know. I used to love this stuff." He sighed and took a seat next to his 'niece'. "But, we're gonna have to go home soon...knowing Artemis and Wally; they've blown everything out of proportion."

Iris chuckled, "Well...It depends on what you wrote on the note. As long as they knew it was you, they'll be fine."

Dick looked at the floor, flushing red, "I just said that we've gone to Neverland and we'll be back soon."

Jai clapped his hands, looking around the room in awe, "Neverland looks a LOT like this ice-cream shop." Iris raised an eyebrow, and put her spoon down, rushing out of her seat and clambering to the door, "We gots to go home. Now. Mum and Dad will FREAK at that message."

Dick nodded, dragging Jai away from the ice cream. "Want to go back to mine?" Iris shook her head angrily, and placed her hands onto her hips, "_You_ told me we were- but _you_ also told me that _you_ told my Dad." She pointed a finger at him, pouting.

Dick raised his hands in defeat, accepting the consequences, "I was just having a bit of fun, Iris. Well, actually, I wanted to-"

"I'm not sure if I'm having any fun though." She glared at the dark-haired man, snapping at him. Jai skipped between them, and jumped up and down, "I am!" He laughed and hugged Richard, who ruffled his hair. Iris pulled Jai away, scowling at Dick. She shook her head, "I'm not too sure if I wanna hang out with you anymore...you're acting...kinda different." Iris cocked her head to the side, and looked Dick over.

Dick sighed, and wrung his hands together, before giving Iris a sad smile, "Sorry, kiddo. I'm just tired. And I need your help..."

Iris raised an eyebrow, "So that's why you kidnapped me and Jai?" She glowered and turned away from the man who snorted, "Kidnapped?! Iris, I was doing your parents a favour...plus, I'm kinda on sharp rocks with them at the moment..."

"Again?" Jai smacked his hands against his own head, glancing at Dick with disappointment.

Richard nodded, laughing softly, "I knew they wouldn't let me talk to you guys, so I have to do it this way."

Iris stomped her foot angrily, "They're going to go CRAZY, Dick!"

Richard crossed his arms over his chest, "You sound like Artemis." He lifted a finger before Iris could blurt something back, "I just need some advice! It's about-"

The ice-cream parlour door tinkled open. Nightwing was tackled to the floor before he could even begin to elaborate on his statement. The red-head pelted the other man with fists and kicks until the blonde, Artemis, pried him, Wally, away.

Dick spat blood onto the white tile flooring of the shop, and cracked his neck, "Not cool, Dude. I wasn't ready."

Wally laughed with spite, before slamming a fist into the wall, "You know what's not cool, _Dude? _Kidnapping my children. In fact, I think that might even be _ill-eg-al."_

Wally helped Dick up, and the raven haired man chuckled, "Yup. But you two love me too much to do anything about it."

Artemis snorted angrily, and Wally cracked his knuckles, "Don't push it, bird boy. Be glad I haven't ripped your eyes out."

Richard looked to the floor, before backing away slightly. With precise, agile movements, he unwound a belt from his jean's pocket, and placed it around his torso, "Iris, I'll talk to _you _later. I reckon I'll find the answer to my problems on my own."Wally raised an eyebrow, but Dick continued. He took out a small, black ball from one of the many zipped pockets in the strap, smiling sheepishly, before throwing it against the floor.

When the thick purple fog it emulated died away, Dick was no longer in sight. Wally frowned, and Artemis clenched Iris and Jai close to her body.

"Utility Belt- he doesn't leave home without it." Wally flexed his muscles, and pulled Jai into a hug. Artemis stood up, eyeing the room, "So you're just gonna let him go...just like that?"

Wally shrugged, "I'm furious, but...yeah. He's their Uncle; he's not doing any harm." Artemis refrained from pointing out that they had now wasted the time of police and friends, and almost scarred her for life. Wally lifted Iris onto his shoulders, and made his way to the door, "Anyway, Babe. If I see him again, I'll flatten his face: pancake reminiscent."

Artemis nodded, "Not if I beat you to it." She elbowed him playfully in the ribs, before taking Jai's hand and following suit.

* * *

Dick watched from the roof of the building as the four wandered away. He wiped his bloody nose and smirked. It seemed his plans, however crazy, were always well crafted. They always worked. He had wanted to give Artemis and Wally a break, all while bringing them closer together, and he had succeeded. Sure, he hadn't gotten the help he had needed from Iris, but he knew once Wally and Artemis stopped hating him, he would try again.

He took out a piece of paper from his pocket, smiling genuinely. He was considering asking Wally and Artemis to help him instead...but it wouldn't be the same. He glanced again at the paper, before shoving it into his pocket.

**There. New story arc starting by the way.**

**Sorry I took a while.**

**-Me**


	41. Ordinary

**Ordinary**

**Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter- I've almost reached 400, and that really makes me happy. I guess my new goal is 450, though it seems like so many- then again, I still have 11 chapters to go!**

**It is the middle of October; the twins are six months. This chapter was originally called 'One'- it would have been Magnolia and Bartholomew's birthdays, but I feel it's too soon, and also...I kinda left the last chapter on a semi-cliffhanger...**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy and please leave a review. **

**I do not own Young Justice; if I did, I would make a spin-off series, set in the future, about Wally and Artemis...and their kids. **

Jai perched on his toes as Iris crouched to her knees, lightly touching the gravel with her spread fingers. Artemis crossed her arms over her chest, which she puffed out slightly, unimpressed with the scenario. Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes. Wally clapped his hands together, and the duo was off. Iris sped ahead, leaving a trail of dust, as Jai hurried along behind her.

Artemis groaned as she watched her children run circles around the pasture. Wally held a timer in his hands, and counted their laps. Iris turned to look behind herself, smirking at how far behind her younger brother was. His look of glee turned to into determination, and he pushed forwards. Iris barely had time to blink as the strawberry blonde overtook her. Swiftly twisting as she ran, Iris began to catch up with Jai...she was so close, her red hair whipping around her, her feet a blur beneath her...and then her father blew the whistle. Jai completed his seventh lap a second before Iris- it was over.

Iris collapsed onto the floor, and covered her eyes with her hands, moaning. She noted that the sky above her had gotten suddenly darker, and opened her eyes to look into the face of her father, who was blotting out the sun above her. He smirked, and held out a hand for her, which she accepted smiling back at him.

She patted the dust off her clothes, and grimaced, "I can't believe _Jai_ beat me." She grunted, sending a scowl her brother's way. Wally shrugged, "You were ahead for a while, kiddo. Don't worry about it; you're still great and you should be happy your brother is too." He glanced at his son, who was running circles around Artemis, screaming in glee- he was happy himself, at his own accomplishment. Wally rolled his eyes, and hoisted Iris onto his shoulders, making his way to Artemis. He ruffled Jai's hair as the boy came to a standstill before him. "Daddy! Didja see me run! Didja?" Jai jumped up and down on the spot, clapping his hands. Artemis squeezed his shoulder, smiling, "He did, Jai! He's so proud, just like me!"

Jai nodded and looked up at his sister, "Iris...you mad, bro?"

Iris growled, lunging off her father's shoulders, and landing directly in front of her brother. She pressed her face to his, sneering at him, before the corners of her lips shot upwards, and she laughed out loud, "Course not, Jai. And I'm _sis, _not _bro." _She pulled the boy into a tight hug, and set off towards home. Jai bit his lip, and followed suit.

Wally raised an eyebrow at Artemis, who sighed, instantly getting the message, "Obviously Dick taught them that."

The red-haired man rolled his head, and cracked his knuckles, "That man's a walking school, babe. I'm not surprised!"

"Nope, he's a walking bad influence." Artemis rubbed her eyes, and pulled her cardigan over her shoulders, shivering slightly, "Let's get home, before I freeze to death. The party tonight won't be much fun if I have hyperthermia." Wally chuckled, and sped off. The archer whimpered, standing still, "I didn't mean leave me here." She cursed herself for not taking the car to the farm-land; it was a good 30 minute walk back.

* * *

When Artemis finally made her way home, she wasn't at all surprised to see Iris, Jai and Wally watching TV and stuffing their faces with corn chips and party pies. She hung up her cardigan on the nearest hook, and scaled the stairs, arriving in the nursery. Sprawled out on a play mat, covering the burnt-orange carpet, were Magnolia and Bartholomew. Magnolia fought with something invisible, punching the air and tensing every so often; furrowing her small brow and squealing in annoyance. Bartholomew leant against the chocolate wall of the room, his big golden-green eyes watched everything in the area and every once in a while he would run a small hand through his wisps of yellow hair. Artemis took a seat in the rocking chair by the window, and watched the twins again.

They were so different; obviously fraternal twins. Maggie, with her black hair and dark grey eyes was so spunky. She could pass off as the bad-twin any day, screaming at the top of her lungs at any given opportunity. Mew-Mew was fair-haired, fair skinned, he even had light eyes. He was quiet, and he always seemed deep in thought, uninterested in anything other than what was going on inside his own head. A major difference was size; Maggie was huge compared to her brother, who both Wally and Artemis had decided was not a speedster- nothing at all pointed to the fact that he could be.

He was ordinary. He ate like a normal baby, he slept like a normal baby, and he acted like a normal baby- not like Iris, Jai and Magnolia, who shook at even the sight of something sweet, used up all their energy in minutes, and ate truck loads of food a day.

And Artemis didn't mind that her son was nothing like her other children. She pushed herself out of the chair, and crouched down next to Barty, who paid no attention to her presence. His lips were pursed, and his toes wiggled slightly. Artemis placed a kiss atop his head, finally getting his interest. He smiled a gummy grin at her, and then continued staring at the ceiling.

Wally strode into the room, spotting Artemis and throwing himself towards her. The sudden movement made Barty cringe, and Magnolia scream in partial horror, partial delight. Wally apologised, and hugged Maggie close, while Artemis tried to comfort her son.

* * *

"Who let you in?" Iris confronted Dick, who stood in the doorway of the living room. She raised herself from the couch, spreading her arms in hope that it would prevent Jai from rushing towards his uncle. Dick rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms, "You guys are having a party; I didn't want to miss it. Plus, I need to talk to you!"

Iris eyed Dick with question, shaking her head slightly. One red eyebrow rose as Dick took out a velveteen bag from his pocket, "Look, Iris, as a truce, I brought candy." He poured out the contents of the bag onto the floor, and Iris smirked, running into Dick, and holding him tight. He smiled and ran a hand through her scarlet hair. Jai tapped the two quickly, pouting, "Does this mean I can have the lollies?"

Iris rolled her eyes, and Dick bent down to Jai's level, picking up a wrapped treat from the wooden floor and passing it to him. He placed a finger to his lips, "Don't tell mom and dad."

"Don't tell Mom and Dad what?" Wally strode into the room, a livid look in his eyes. Dick flushed and let go of Iris, rubbing the back of his neck, "That I love you guys, and I brought a gift?"

Artemis shook her head as she pushed into the room, "Right; but that doesn't explain the candy." She pointed to the floor, and Dick exhaled. She shook her head before Dick could argue his case, "Everyone to the kitchen in five for cake!" The archer strode out of the room, and Wally followed, eager to see what she was offering.

Iris clapped her hands, and rushed out of the room too, leaving Jai and Dick on the floor. Jai patted Dick on the head, and craned his neck, "Let's go! The twins are six today!" He flung out of the room as well, ignoring Dick's addition of the word 'months.'

* * *

Wally kissed Artemis' cheek as she cut the cake. Everyone sat around the table, a few added odd chairs around the room for the unexpected guests. Iris and Jai sat next to Harry Tom, Harry's nine-year old son. Dick sat next to Wally.

Mary, Jade and Lian, were also around the table, though cramped. The high-chairs of Maggie and Bartholomew were on the outskirts, Artemis chair between both. Megan and Roy's chairs stood against the dining room walls.

Wally smirked and stood, moving to Artemis' side, "You know what I've just realised, babe?" He spoke in a soft whisper, inaudible over the loud chattering of their guests and family. Artemis looked at him uncertainly, "This isn't chocolate cake?"

Wally looked appalled, "Not chocolate ca-!?" He paused and composed himself, "No." He looked at the twins in their chairs. Magnolia's hands were in her slice of sponge, while Barty was looking at his food with caution. "Mew-Mew can also be called Bart." Wally's words were a hoarse whisper, and he looked around the room to make sure no one else had heard as soon as they were out. Artemis raised her eyebrows, and Wally nodded, "I named my kid after a time traveller, my first cousin, once removed...without knowing it!"

Artemis looked at Wally in shock, "Are you serious?" Wally looked grim as he nodded, but Artemis shook her head for the umpteenth time that day, "I mean, did you seriously not even NOTICE that before?" Wally's look became sheepish and he averted his eyes from Artemis' gaze. She smirked, and took a plate into her hands, piling some cake onto it for another visitor, "I have a feeling that Bart's mother or father wanted to name their child after the speedster too."

Wally grunted in response, before smiling shrewdly, "But I had the idea first! Bart hasn't even been born yet!" Artemis patted him on the shoulder as he beamed, placing another piece of cake onto a plate for herself, "Whatever you say, dear."

He frowned, "And what's that supposed to mean!?" His outburst was a little too loud, drawing the attention of a few family members to them. He sighed and rested his chin on his hands, surveying the company they were keeping. He mentally hit himself for not even thinking about the matter before. Artemis began to wander back to the kitchen, presumably for more cake. Wally spun her around before she could take the last steps out of the dining room. He looked solemn, "This is because we called him Mew-Mew." He nodded to himself, "That's why I didn't notice." Artemis shrugged, turning away from him and heading once more to the kitchen, "Okay, babe. Okay"

**There you go. Something slightly lighter hearted, that I wanted to write before I completely flickered out.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**-Me**


	42. Plans

**Plan**

**Well, this is what some of you were waiting for. Hope you enjoy and please, please review. **

**Thank you everyone who reviewed so far! I can't believe I'm past 400 reviews! A billion thank you's!**

**It's nearing the end of October for this chapter, so the twins are still six months. **

**This was originally so different, but because of new additions and the new story arc, it has now drastically changed...though I'm still putting in my original notes...somewhat.**

"Did you check his sheets?" Artemis rubbed her eyes, trying to keep the sleep-dust in them from gluing them shut. Wally yawned and pushed his chapped lips together, before clambering back into bed, "Soaked." He plunged his head into his pillow, breath becoming deep.

Artemis stretched and rolled over, digging her nails into the bed sheets, "Did you change them?" Her voice was low and raspy, but full of concern. Soft snores answered her, though part of her knew that he hadn't. She forced her feet out of bed, and followed them out of the door, using the cream walls as her guide before changing to the stair rail. She padded softly downstairs and made her way into the laundry room.

After flicking the light on, almost burning her eyes and waking Dasher in the process, Artemis flicked the florescent bulbs back off with haste, and grabbed the nearest sheets for Jai, who had recently started bedwetting. She shut her eyes, and began dragging her feet down the hall once more. She was so tired, she had a pounding headache and she had just bumped into an oddly shaped wall...

Her eyes snapped open, and she opened her mouth to scream. A hand clamped over her lips and muffled her voice, the figure placing a finger to its lips. Artemis shut her eyes, petrified, and felt the hand lift away from her mouth. Then, when she fully eyed the person stood before her, with a terrified expression, she began to laugh. Dick Grayson laughed in a hushed fashion too, though it lasted only a short period of time.

Artemis rubbed her eyes, and stifled a yawn, before patting Dick on the back, "Who let you in?" She tutted and pointed to the couch, "Sleep. You can speak to her in the morning." Artemis left the room, eyes shut again, and Dick chuckled as he took a seat on the sofa. Normally Artemis would have put up a fight, but he guessed she was too sleepy to kick him out- he wondered if she was even fully aware of what she had just done. He pulled off his boots and put his feet up, flicking on the television.

He hardly expected a sound _that _loud. The room shook with the volume, and the sound of cheering fans watching a pre-recorded match emulated off the walls- plaster dust even beginning to seep out of cracks in the ceiling. Dick fumbled with the remote, trying to turn the TV down. It was too late though, the sound of Magnolia and Bart screaming upstairs told him everything he needed to know. He threw the remote in anger...before cursing and clamping his hands over his eyes.

He knew he was in trouble when Wally's cuss words grew louder the closer he came to the room. Dick sighed, and relaxed his shoulders in defeat. Wally swore loudly again, before throwing a pillow at Dick, "You just woke the ENTIRE house, I have no idea how you got in, and...YOU BROKE THE TV!" Wally fell to his knees, clutching the fallen remote in his hands and scrambling to brush up some pieces of the smashed screen, "Get out of my house, Dick." Wally was barely audible over his sobs as he mourned the loss of the electrical appliance.

* * *

"Hey Arty!" Dick pointed to the box behind himself, waving at Artemis who stood, angry in the doorway. He cleared his throat and smirked, "I got you guys a new TV, it's been a week now; can I come in?"

Artemis locked her jaw, and stared at Dick with a hint of disgust, "Sure, but you can't talk to anyone, touch anything or-"

"It's a 112 inch, 3D plasma screen television."

Wally pushed past his wife, and shook Dick's hand with an eager smile on his face, "Come right in, old friend. Would you like pasta? Chicken nuggets? We have some mighty fine fish fingers if you want?"

Dick chuckled as he strode into the house. Wally fretted over him like an overprotective parent, taking the man's coat, and even helping him to take off his shoes, before continuing his asinine offers, "Tea, coffee? Iris is in her room. How about some cake? Everyone loves ca-"

The raven haired man smirked, "Wally, the TV is yours. No need to act nice." Wally sighed in relief, stopped smiling, and grabbed the box from Dick, nudging him with his elbow as he passed. Richard rolled his eyes and made his way up the stairs, stopping outside Iris' room. Knocking quickly, he backed away a bit. The little girl sprang out of the room, and into Dick's wide open arms. After a brief laughing fit, Iris was placed down onto the floor, and Dick walked into her overly pink room, taking a seat on her florescent pink bed and unfolding a piece of paper, which he had taken out of his (thankfully) blue pants pocket.

Iris scrambled around her room, trying to put some things away to make space. She brushed her unmanageable hair out of her face, and took a seat on the floor, beaming, "Hows about we play some games? I have dolls- we could play teacher? Or we could have a tea party?"

Dick smirked, and shuffled off the bed, taking a seat on the rug directly in front of Iris. He tucked a strand of her 'mane' behind one of her protruding ears, and hummed softly, "Those sound _very _appealing, Iris, I have a very fun game we could play." He paused as Iris shimmied closer to him, an extraordinary large smile on her face. Dick leant back slightly, and tucked the paper back into his pocket, "It's in two steps, actually...but...if you're not interested?" He shut his eyes briefly, opening one to see Iris look at him suspiciously. He sighed, and put a hand onto Iris shoulder, craning his head slightly to look behind her, checking for silent eavesdroppers, "The game is a little...it's complicated."

Iris beamed, "I'm sure if you explain it, I'll understand." Dick nodded, and stood up, holding out a hand for her to take. "Well then, I'll explain on the way to mine...if that was a yes?"

Iris looked behind herself, somewhat longingly at the door. She looked to her bare feet and pigeon toes, and then, she finally looked at Dick with look of shyness, "Does Daddy know?"

Dick shrugged and shook his head, he hadn't really thought this far ahead. Iris nodded slowly and padded towards her window, unlatching it, "Fine." She exhaled, unimpressed, "But we have to make it fast." Dick stared at Iris in shock, before smiling, and swaggering to the window, heaving the girl up, though she could reach on her own. She grunted in frustration, batting his arms away, and sliding herself down the roof tiles, landing her feet in the gutter below. Dick slid down too and jumped off, waiting for Iris to join him. She braced herself for the landing, and then began to run – over the fence, and out of view. She knew he was bound to explain everything when they got to his house, and she was pretty eager to hear it.

* * *

Dick arrived about half an hour after Iris. She was sat on the doorstep of his home, shuffling her feet on the floor, making patterns in the collected dust. Dick took a seat next to her, pulling out his paper again, "The first game is running." He threw her a pair of sneakers to Iris. She hadn't noticed them before, hidden behind one of the bushes in his garden display.

Iris raised her eyebrows, glancing at Dick quickly with disbelief before pulling the shoes on. He snorted, and shoved the paper into her hands when she looked ready enough, "You need to run to Chicago for me, and give this little slip to Zatanna. There's one condition though; you can't look at what's written on the paper."

Iris smirked, tucking the 'document' into her jacket pocket, "And if I do?" She stood up, edging away from Dick, who had a grin on his face, "Then...I dunno. You lose? Please don't..." Dick looked at Iris, who didn't seem to have registered his earlier words, "I trust you, Kid. Don't let me down."

Iris sniggered, and pulled her hair into a ponytail, "Why do I have to do this anyway? It's..." She paused, thinking for a moment, "Two thousand, nine hundred and eight two kilo-metres from here to there...That's gonna take me a while. Why can't you just get my dad to do it? Or take your jet there or something? Or...you know, send the letter by post?"

Dick paled slightly, and laughed awkwardly, "This is...kinda part of my plan- thought it would be cute."

"Cute? Was that a hint?" Iris smirked at Dick, who shook his head frantically. The little girl sighed, "Look, all I'm saying is if it takes more than three hours by plane to get there, which it does, it'll take me longer than a day." Dick bit his lip, and Iris flexed, before shrugging and placing her goggles over her eyes, "I have _no idea _how you're going to explain this to my parents."

* * *

Dick did a _terrible _job at explaining the absence of Iris to Wally and Artemis a few hours after she had set out. He stuttered over words, and couldn't make up something believable. It took Wally strapping him down and shining a torch into his face for the Nightwing to finally give in and tell the astounded couple that their daughter was on her way to Chicago, with a message in hand. It took Wally seconds to get out of the door and onto the road, but it took Artemis hours to stop hyperventilating, and nearly two days for the scratches Artemis had made on Dick's arms, to begin fading away.

Needless to say, Wally caught up with his daughter in a matter of hours. She was intent on reaching Zatanna, though Dick hadn't given her an address. After much searching, eating, and getting caught up in early Halloween celebrations, Iris and Wally finally made it back home.

Iris pranced over to Dick, who was still in the West household, "She says, and I quote, 'Tell him to come on his own.'"

Iris smiled sneakily, looking at her father, who gave her the thumbs up. Dick went bog eyed, "Did she even _skim read _the note?"

Iris shrugged, "I have no idea. I gave it to her, and then I saw this AWESOME cat, that had orange stripes, and I followed it into a-" Iris trailed off, and Wally sighed, leaning against the door frame.

"Why don't you ask her yourself, Richard?" He crossed his arms, and Dick sprang up from his spot, shaking his head in aggravation, "I can't. I didn't think that far ahead, I don't have her number, and I have no idea where she lives! I got Iris to do it because..." He looked behind himself, at Iris who was skipping around the room, trailing the path of a fly. He cleared his throat, "She's pretty talented, when she puts her mind to it."

Wally rolled his eyes, and moved out of the door way, exposing Zatanna, who stood, clad in trench coat and boots, outside in the spitting rain. Dick opened his mouth to say something, but Zatanna flung her arms around him, and his words never got out. Iris watched with a warm smile on her face, as did Wally, before he took his daughter's hand and lead her out of the room.

Dick pushed Zatanna away slightly at that moment, placing his hands onto her shoulders. He brought his face close to hers, looking her over with his bright blue eyes; he was in disbelief, she couldn't possibly be...there, "Zee...please give me a ninth chance?"

Zatanna smirked, pulling out the paper Iris had given to her from one of her many pockets. She cleared her throat slightly, as she read the message again, "Well...considering that here..." she pointed to a section in the writing, "...you've pointed out what I jerk you were, I suppose I can let it slip."

Dick jumped for joy spinning the sorceress around, before coming to a halt, and looking serious, "Zatanna...the reason I was avoiding you...well...I had this whole thing planned, but then..."

Zatanna cocked her head to the side, "I thought you knew that girls didn't like been ignored?"

Dick shook his head, "I didn't want to disregard you, I was just getting everything ready, and then you left...and I was-"

Zatanna hushed him, "What were you getting ready for?"

Iris peeked out around the doorway, still intently watching the duo. Wally pulled her back slightly, but stayed in the place too, watching the couple converse. Iris beamed and clapped her hands as soon as Dick got down onto one knee.

Wally bounced around the room with Iris, as soon as Zatanna said yes.

**There you go. Naaws?**

**Hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review.**

**I hope you guys are aware that this means a little wedding will be coming up soon.**

**The next chapter is a Halloween one...but not really. It's more Iris centric, hard to explain. It's called Quitting. Stay tuned.**

**-Me**


	43. Quitting

**Quitting**

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews guys, please do continue! My goal is now 450 reviews before the last chapter (Zoo). Please help me reach that goal. :3**

**This chapter was prompted by xXRandomnessXx My next chapter, starting with R, was originally going to be the whole Dick/Zee proposal, but since I wrote that in the last chapter, I have no idea what to do for the next one (R)- send in ideas or names, please?**

**This is a Halloween Chapter- though, it's predominantly Iris Centric; nothing too 'trick or treat' over here. **

Wally walked straight into the living room, strutting around with a glowing smile on his face. Jai giggled, and Artemis rolled her eyes, smiling. He was sporting a batman suit and top hat, and was prancing around like there was no tomorrow. Artemis placed Magnolia onto the floor; she had just added the final touches to the 'little bo peep' costume the baby was wearing. Maggie clapped her hands, staring in awe at Wally, who swooped down behind the couch, making a big scene of it.

Artemis lifted Barty, who was sleeping, onto her knees, and began to undress him, "I'm thinking a cat suit for him." Artemis stated. Wally popped up, eyebrow raised. He pulled off the top hat, and glanced at his wife, "Is this because we call him Mew-Mew?"

Artemis nodded, "Exactly." She dressed the child in a black vest and shorts, before adding a cat-hat to the top of his head, "Where did you get that costume anyway, Wally?" Artemis asked, not taking her eyes off Bartholomew, who began to whimper at the sight of the new-clothing he was wearing. Wally smirked, "Just...erm...if Bruce comes over; tell him I'm not home, okay?"

Artemis sniggered and placed Bart onto the floor. Jai ran to his father, smiling, "Daddy? Can you guess who I am?" He was clad in replica Green Arrow clothing, with a stick-on goatee protruding off his chin. Wally bent down, humming slightly, before shrugging, "Black Canary?"

Artemis growled, "So close, Wally, but I think you're mixing up husband and wife."

Jai laughed whole heartedly, and ran to a box in the corner of the room, removing a small glittery devil costume, "Where's Iris, Momma?"

Artemis shook her head, smiling, "She's doing her own thing." Jai raised an eyebrow, but plopped down in front of the TV without further questions. Artemis sighed, "Well, I'm gonna go get my Angel costume on, Wally. I'll be right back."

Artemis sauntered out of the room and Wally snorted, "You sure you and Iris haven't mixed up costumes?"

A pillow hit Wally in the back of the head, followed by a roar from Artemis, "I heard that, Wallace!"

* * *

Iris bent backwards, dodging a hit. Throwing herself forwards, she landed on the attacker with force. He had no time to react, and it was mere seconds before he had lost, and was tied from head to foot in rope. Iris smirked, "One down, team!" The apprehended villain raised an eyebrow...and pulled the rope away from his body, throwing it to the floor. Iris turned, gasping briefly, before narrowly ducking away from a kick to the face. She slapped a hand to her cowl, grunting angrily, "Double knot, Iris. Double knot!"

The villain sent another kick her way, catching her off guard. The little red-head went flying in the opposite direction as the masked robber made off with his stolen goods. Iris heard a frustrated cry coming from the other end of the bank. She brushed herself off, and shakily began to stand, rubbing her forehead.

"They're all down!" She heard the team leader yell. Looking to the floor in disappointment, Iris made her way to the centre of the bank. She had to tell the team the truth, even though they'd lecture her afterwards.

She watched her far more mature team-mates punch the air in victory. Their team compromised of four males, and four females, counting Iris, and her spunky cousin, Lian. Lian, at that moment, was shaking her bow in the air, laughing with the youngest male member, a fourteen year old Hydromatic prodigy. Iris rolled her eyes; her cousin was _always _trying to flirt with him.

Wondergirl, the leader of the team, clamped at hand onto Iris shoulder, startling her. Iris gave a shaky laugh, before sighing, "Look, Cassie. I messed up, I let the bad guy get away." Wondergirl furrowed her brow, cocking her head to the side naïvely, "Oh. That was you?" Cassie looked to the other team mates, exhaling, "Its fine, Iris. I'll take the blame since we managed to take him down anyway. Doubt anyone will say anything though!"

Iris raised an eyebrow, before relaxing and making her way to the door. Cassie rarely got mad at anyone on the team...her team-mates, however, always seemed to get mad at one another, and especially loved playfully picking on Iris. Lian caught up with the seven-year old, nudging her in the side with her elbow, "Up for a Halloween party at the Hall of Justice, Irey?"

Iris scrunched up her nose, and balled her fists, "Iris." She stated, through gritted teeth, "And...I'm not sure. I'd have to ask my parents."

Lian threw her head back, laughing, "Irey, they won't care. Bats will be there anyway, it's a safe house. If they let you do this, they won't say no to you joking around with us." Lian motioned to their team-mates, who were still chattering enthusiastically with each other about the fight. Iris shook her head, "Pass."

Lian frowned, "Is everything okay, Cuzz?"Iris ignored the question, pulling her cowl back, brushing her hair slightly with her fingers. Her silver eyes gazed back at her team, before focusing on the stone flooring. Then, she started making her way home. She heard Lian run behind her, but didn't stop to acknowledge her presence. She just wanted to get home, have a shower, and sleep. She was only doing the crime-fighting thing because she didn't want to disappoint her father.

He was always telling her how proud he was that she was 'following in the footsteps of family'. If she was particularly good, he would enlighten her with his own tales from when he was still a hero after every mission; and Iris would always compare his experience with her own.

Iris couldn't really find a lot that her team had in common with that of her fathers. He would go into detail about how close-knit his group was, what great friends they all were. Iris' team was in shambles, everyone arguing over nothing, and blaming each other for slip ups. It was incredibly tough been in the midst of all that...and Iris wanted to quit.

But she didn't want to dishearten Wally.

* * *

Iris knocked on her front door, sighing and rubbing her eyes. It was promptly answered by Artemis, wearing angel wings and a halo. Iris pushed through, and walked straight up stairs without greeting any of her family members. She pressed on towards her room, stopping only when she was at her door. She sniffed slightly, rubbing her eyes again, before letting herself in and collapsing onto the floor.

She hated been a hero, she hated all the pressure and she hated her team.

She had enough of Lian every weekend. She bushy haired archer was never pleasant towards her, and loved boasting and rubbing in her new moves. She annoyed Iris constantly; always telling the team about embarrassing family events. Iris had to love Lian, and yeah, when they weren't cramped up in the same room for hours on end, the two could get along to an extent, but normally, Lian was just unbearable.

Mitch, the fourteen year old with control over water, loved nothing more than pulling Iris pig-tails and calling her a kid. She knew he messed around with everyone on the team, but it still infuriated her. His best friend on the team, an anamorphic boy called Ed was no better.

Ella, a showy sixteen year old pretty much ignored Iris in any way she could. Yeah, her powers were cool- she could fly and whatnot, but that didn't justify why Iris was mistreated by her, even after asking a direct question. Ella stuck around for her boyfriend, Marc- the last boy on the team. He was awesome at martial arts, and in Iris humble opinion, incredibly hot, but he didn't really interact with Iris- she wasn't too sure if it was because he was constantly stuck to Ella's face, or because he genuinely didn't like the red-head.

Beast Boy and Wondergirl, the 'seniors' on the team, Iris had nothing against. The never really did anything to hurt her; they were perhaps the only other reason she stayed on the squad. Iris heaved a sigh, and crawled under her bed, snivelling.

She didn't expect to be comforted in that place, but an arm snaked around her anyway, and gentle shushing, which morphed into the humming of a familiar tune, met her ears.

"Dick?" Iris looked over her shoulder, at the smiling face of a clown. Then she panicked. She kicked her legs out from behind her, and lunged from out under the bed. She leant against the wall, trying to hoist herself upwards, while keeping her petrified stare on what was directly in front of her.

"What tah 'eck, Iri'?" The clown held its bloody red nose, but chuckled nevertheless. It removed its rainbow wig, exposing raven-black hair, and began to rub at its face make-up, exposing peachy skin. Iris calmed down, smiling, and sprung at Dick, hugging him, "Sorry!" She giggled.

He elevated her to his level, and pushed his forehead against hers, smiling, "Don't cry, kid. I'm here to talk to you." He flung her onto her bed, and she screamed in glee, burrowing under her covers. Dick placed a finger to his lips, pointing to the door, "Your parent's don't know I'm here."

Iris nodded, "I was wondering who let you in."

Dick took a seat on her bed, exhaling noisily, "Talk to me."

And so Iris did. She told him all about the team, and about the missions she had been on. She told him everything she felt, how various squad-members made her feel, and when she had finished, red in the face and hidden under the covers, Dick began to chuckle.

"Quit then. If it's really that tough, quit. I used to be the short one too, I know what it's like."

Iris peeked out from under the covers, scowling, "I never said _anything _about been short" Her lip quivered, and Dick groaned, rubbing his face, "Let me continue: There's no weakness in stopping it, Iris. You can always come back later. It is hard, I know, so...take a break? Quit! Be done with it." He whispered the last words, smiling and clinging onto Iris blanket.

A look of determination crossed Iris face, and she crossed her arms. Then, in a swift move, she was out of her window, and on the roof, "You know what, Dick? I'm gonna go to that party, and have fun, and I WON'T quit!" She jumped off the roof, and was over the fence before Dick could blink.

He grinned, nodding his head, "Reverse Psychology. Who knew I had it in me?" Dick chuckled, and walked towards the door, "I _really _want some pumpkin pie...wonder if Artemis has made any?" He paused before he grabbed the handle, raising an eyebrow, "I'm talking to myself...great." He stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind himself, "Hope that wasn't too loud..." He stated, whispering, before cursing loudly at his one-sided conversation.

**There. I wasn't really feeling this one, but, oh well.**

**The next chapter will be up in due time. For now; review?**

**Thanks so much again!**

**-Me**


	44. Rescue

**Thank you to xXRandomnessXx- I tried to incorporate your idea, but with my spin on it.**

**Irenrb, thank you so much as well!**

**oaktavor and anon- I tried to add your idea too. It's not exactly what you asked for, but I hope I do it justice. It was suggested I write a chapter in which Dick and Zatanna prepare for their wedding, but I feel it's a bit too early for that. **

**This chapter is set in towards the end of November. That's right; I skipped over Wally's birthday. Sue me. **

**Please don't, actually, I do not own Young Justice.**

**Just pointing this out, in case anyone is interested; Wally and Artemis were 21, pretty much, in 2016, so therefore, in 2025, they are 32. Dick was 19 in 2016, so therefore in 2025, he is 27, turning 28 at this point in the story. Zatanna is 29. **

**Enjoy.**

Zatanna pointed to the creamy sepia sample in the book of fabric laid out in front of her, "I reckon that would look awesome on the tables, and since we're going with orange as the bridesmaid colour, I th-"

"Orange?" Dick butted in, striding into the room and taking a seat on the table Zatanna and Artemis were sat at. Dick scrunched up his nose, "Does that mean I have to wear an orange tie?"

Zatanna frowned, "I swear I locked the door, Artemis. Did you let him in?"

Artemis shrugged, looking at Dick, and smiling evilly, "Orange ties? We were thinking Orange suits." Dick gagged and slid off the table, scowling at the duo, "I'll be in the kitchen stuffing my face."

Zatanna chuckled, "Don't put on too much weight- the suit needs to fit!"

Dick shook his head, "If I have an orange shirt to look forward too, I'm gonna go gain thirty pounds." He strode out of the room, grunting to himself, leaving Zatanna and Artemis to giggle among themselves. Artemis smirked, "Orange tie it is, Zee." She ticked something off on her sheet, and Zatanna smirked, "I think I'm gonna have a golden-orange theme for the napkins." She ticked a photo in her own book, and Artemis nodded.

"Go with the gold-rimmed Champagne glasses then." Wally strode into the room, holding a glass in his hand, "These were the best I could find. How many should I order?"

Zatanna squealed and sprang up to hug Wally, who struggled with holding the glass in his hand, "Order fifty for now." Artemis nodded, jotting down that figure next to a hand drawn picture of the goblet Wally was gripping onto. Wally pushed away from Zatanna, looking flustered, and sauntered out of the room.

"Now we have to pick the chair fabric." Artemis motioned to the fabrics in the large book again. Zatanna grinned, "Go with the same colour fabric as the table cloths." She stated in a way that made the choice seem obvious. Artemis nodded, biting her lip as she circled a number in her long list of exotic paint names. The sorceress took a seat once more, "I'll enchant the lanterns, so they float around the room- I have no idea where I'll get the orange candles though."

Zatanna rubbed her forehead, and Artemis glanced up at her in surprise, "Zee, that's the easiest part." She flicked to a page in another book on the table, "Quality Candles- it's about fifteen minutes south of here." Zatanna clapped, and Artemis doggy-eared the page.

Artemis pointed to the page after the candle-shop, "This is a nice dress shop- they have plenty on offer, but they _will_ make a dress if you don't see anything you like. I've booked the appointment for twelve fifteen tomorrow."

Zatanna shrieked, "I love having a wedding planner as a best friend!"

Artemis rolled her eyes, "That's because I won't charge you." She began to jot notes into a small journal, and Zatanna flicked through several of the sample books, before stopping on a page titled, 'VENUE.' Zatanna smirked, "I'm getting married in a manor house?"

Artemis didn't look up from her note-book, but nodded nevertheless, "You're getting married in a church- Dick's contribution. This place is for the reception and overnight guests, it was the nicest place I could find with a circular hall- and the only one with a fountain inside."

Zatanna screeched in happiness, "You're the best!"

Artemis threw her head back, "I'm fully aware." She bit her pen as the sound of crying reached her ears and puckered her brow, "We'll have to continue this tomorrow, Zee. You keep jotting down anything else you want, and I'll look it over and see what I can do." She left to go check on her babies.

Zatanna screeched again, "You're the greatest!"

"So you've said."

Zatanna smiled, "I just can't get over it though." She whispered to herself, staring in awe at the books on the table.

* * *

In the kitchen, Dick pushed a bagel into his mouth. Wally strode in, looking appalled, "Dude. That's duck food- as in, the bread is stale." He took a seat on the floor next to the black-haired man, who gave a one sided smile, "Change one letter in that word, and it's my name. That means- it's my food"

Wally chuckled half heartedly, before patting Dick on the shoulder, "Dick food? Urgh, I wish I wasn't dirty minded." Wally shuddered but stopped when Dick didn't acknowledge his comment. "Is everything okay?"

Dick shook his head, "This bread tastes horrible."Wally rolled his eyes, but gestured for Dick to continue talking. Dick sighed, "Orange suits, Wally. I'm gonna have to wear an orange suit."

Wally laughed quietly, "They were kidding, man." He spoke in a whisper, trying to keep Dick from bursting. Dick shook his head again, "I know."

Wally smiled, "Then there's no problem!" He began to stand, but his friend pulled him down with ease, glowering, "I think I'm getting cold feet."

Wally stared at Dick in shock, before grunting, "No. You're just worried. But you don't have to be afraid, Dick."

Richard laughed harshly, "Afraid? I'm not scared of anything."

Wally gave an unconvincing nod and smile, before exhaling, "Do you love Zatanna?"

Dick glared at his red-haired friend in disbelief, "Is your middle name Rudolph? Of course I love her." Wally gritted his teeth, curling his fingers into his palms, "I thought we said we weren't going to talk about our middle names anymore, _John._" Wally paused briefly, before yawning and standing, this time, without interference from Nightwing. Wally chortled softly, "Nope- your first name is worse." He gave up his joking, and looked at his friend with unease, "Dick, it's only a month into planning- the wedding is months away, and afterwards...the part I think you're worried about; living with Zatanna forever? It's not gonna be the same as Kori, it'll be great." Wally paused before spreading his arms out, with a wide smile, "Think me and Artemis only ten times richer, ten times less stressed and with about ten-thousand less arguments every day."

Dick moaned, "You can't know that, Wally."

Wally groaned, "Don't argue with me, Grayson. Just accept it." He winked before leaving the room. Dick frowned, and stuffed another bagel into his mouth, "I have- but that doesn't mean I'm not _terrified_."

* * *

Iris glanced around the head quarters as she wandered in aimlessly. A face met hers, that of Mitch. He smirked at her, and ran towards her, before tripping over his untied shoe laces, and landing face-flat in front of her. He swore and pushed himself up, rubbing the back of his neck. Iris raised an eyebrow, and stared at him in confusion. He stood up, running a hand through his sandy hair, "Erm...Irey? I was kinda wondering if you wanted to meet someone. Ya know, you're closer to his age, he's ten, and Lian won't help me out."

The red-head fumed, "Iris. I-R-I-S. Not Rissy, not Irey, not Ray or Iri-my-main-man. Got it?" She pushed him in the stomach, and he doubled over, squeezing out some air, "Ouch, geez kid, I was just-"

Iris shook her head, "Where's this person then, Mitchell?"

Mitch snarled, and backed away from Iris, before smirking, "Its Mitch, Kid, and he's in my room." His words came out a bit snappier than Iris supposed he wanted them to. Either way, she breathed the word 'hypocrite' out, and eyed her team-mate with suspicion, unsure whether it was all a set-up for his and Ed's new prank. She shrugged and pushed past him, making her way to his bedroom.

When she arrived in Mitch's room, she was fully appalled. Not by the lack of sanity the boy seemed to have, judging by the rank smell and unwashed clothes scattered about the room, but by the lack of 'kid close to her age'. In fact, there was absolutely no one in the room. Iris bit her lip, frowning, "What a weak prank, Goop. You and Ed can stop hiding now."

"Ed? How'd you know I was hiding any way? And my name's Shifty- not Goop." Iris spun around in shock, coming face to face with a boy slightly taller than her. He had large amber eyes, and a dazzling smile. His golden curls brushed past his ears, and curled around his eyebrows, which were raised in surprise. He held out a red gloved hand for Iris, but the girl ignored it, staring in awe at the boy, "How did I pass you without noticing you!?" She craned her neck, looking behind the boy. Unless he had been pressed against the wall, or hidden under a pile of clothes when she walked in, there was no way he could've hidden from her.

He smirked, and with one last blink, disappeared completely. Iris held her head in shock, her jaw dropping open. She looked around the room in concern. Shifty appeared right before her eyes ahead of her calling out his name. He cracked his knuckles and crossed his arms over his chest, frowning slightly, "I'm a human chameleon...well, sort of. I do more than just camouflage myself...I can turn completely invisible."

Iris smiled, "That is _too_ cool, _Shifty?_" She said his name with question in her voice, unsure if she had remembered it correctly. The golden-haired boy nodded his head, his curls moving with the motion, "But you can call me Jacob."

* * *

Iris arrived in Mitch's room the next day. She'd promised Jacob that she would give him a grand tour of the hall of Justice, fit with access all areas. She brushed her hands against the wall until she came into contact with a jutting bump in the shape of the boy, about half-way into the room.

Iris grinned from ear to ear, "Jacob? Your powers are _awesome!_"

Jacob appeared under her hands, grinning, "AHA! You know the words to make me _detectable_!" He ran across the room, throwing himself into the bottom bunk of the bed. Iris made her way towards him, noticing small changes to the room from the other day- there were more clothes in the room, but someone had tried to sort them into more than a few big piles instead of the several hundred that had been there before.

Jacob seemed to notice what Iris was looking at. He pointed to a large pile near the bed, "I call this, sock mountain." He motioned with his head for Iris to turn around, "The other pile, against the wall- Underwear Jungle, the one next to that is Peg-less Paradise." Iris turned around to smile at Jacob. He pointed again, behind himself at the largest pile, "This one was originally 'no-stack-Jack', but now it's the Mix and Match Mound."

Iris snorted and joined Jacob on the bed, sitting next to him while trying to suppress her giggles. She looked at him through watery eyes, "Are you staying on the team?" Iris secretly crossed her fingers. Jacob was actually _nice, _close to her age and if he was a team-mate, he would be more than an asset- he would be her friend, she could feel it. Jacob nodded slowly, "I think. Cassie said I need to be monitored for a while- but for now, I'm sharing this room with Mitch."

"Oh yeah, I suppose you've met Mitch." It wasn't really a statement directed at Jacob, and Iris scowled, looking to the floor. Jacobs tinkling laugh pierced the short silence, and he cocked his head to the side, "Yeah! He's nice, isn't he?" Iris rolled her eyes, but 'agreed' with the boy anyway- she didn't want to be a walking pity-party.

After a few quiet minutes, Jacob moved closer to Iris, smiling, "Care to show me around this place then? It's my fourth day, and Mitch hasn't shown me...well...anything." He gave an unconvincing laugh, before grimacing, but Iris sniggered all the same, nodding, "Of course!" She grabbed his gloved hand, and pulled him out of the room, beginning to give him a quick tour of the Hall of Justice.

The two took a break in the mission briefing room after visiting the kitchen, several of the squads rooms and the museum. Jacob sat down, letting everything sink in, a wild smile on his face. Iris sighed, and paced around the room, waiting for him to give her the all clear. A flashing red light came to her attention on the control panel she passed as she waited. She quickly looked back to Jacob, who was looking around the room in amazement. Iris swiftly pressed the light, against her better judgement.

A blaring police frequency blasted out of the ceiling speakers. Jacob almost jumped out of his skin, turning invisible momentarily. Iris cringed, but listened to the urgent call, _"Gotham Warehouse drug trade. Seven Men- armed. We need back up."_

Iris looked at Jacob, who nodded once, curtly. She grabbed his hand, and set off at a run almost instantly, Jacob barely able to keep his feet attached to the floor as she pulled him forwards, stopping only to jot down the co-ordinates the message conveyed.

The two left at an incorrect time however. The message continued at their departure. The voice of the commissioner seemed different, higher- more crazed even, _"Gotham Warehouse Surprise, may I add. The surprise? Do I count as seven armed men? I sure as hell have enough ammo..." _

* * *

The duo arrived in record time at a warehouse east of Gotham. Iris pushed Jacob behind a garbage bin, and peeked around the corner of the building they were hiding behind. There were no signs of people outside the co-ordinates that were transmitted. Iris turned to give Jacob the thumbs up, but he was no where in sight. She shut her eyes, breathing slowly, before putting her goggles on. She was contemplating changing into her costume, before a disembodied voice froze her in her tracks, "Nobody's watching the perimeter, and there's only one person inside the warehouse." The voice was obviously Shifty's, but its owner was nowhere in sight. Iris shrugged, and threw her arms out in front of her. They instantly hit something hard; and Jacob reappeared in front of her. He was holding his slightly upturned nose in pain, trying to wipe away the blood that streaked out of it. Iris flinched slightly, before apologising and handing the boy a tissue. He accepted without recoiling, and the duo stared at each other for a few moments.

As soon as his nose was just about done bleeding, Iris took his hand into hers again, "Can you turn me invisible?" She asked, with an air of confidence. Jacob scratched his head, shying away from her, "I'm not sure. I've only had this ability for a few years- what makes you think I can?"

Iris snatched her hand back, "Television and a vivid imagination." She pulled a face of disapproval, and looked around the corner again, turning back to Jacob to convey her thoughts. "I guess I'll run in fast then, and you can go invisible and sneak in. Then, we can get to the-"

Jacob seized Iris' hand, and pushed a hand against her mouth, quickly motioning to the warehouse. The man, who he had seen before, clad in trench coat and dark glasses, wandered out, and looked around the courtyard surrounding the storehouse. Iris stared at the figure in astonishment, and looked back to Jacob. His brow was furrowed, and he seemed to be in deep concentration.

It wasn't long before Iris could no longer see him. She held tight onto his hand, and looked back to the man, who was slowly wandering towards their hiding place. She whimpered slightly, shutting her eyes. "He can't see you- I did it." Jacobs's tired whisper brushed against her ear. She refrained from jumping with joy, and slowly began to make her way out of the hiding spot, still clasping onto Jacob's glove.

The two walked out directly in front of the man- who stopped in his tracks. For a moment, Iris swore she saw him smile at her, but he quickly became expressionless again, and peered around the corner, at her original hiding spot. He looked unimpressed when he found nothing there and, turning on his heel, he began to make his way back to the warehouse. Iris tried to ignore the familiar face she had seen in the male.

* * *

Iris dragged Jacob behind another building, exhaling in relief. Jacob dropped her hand, and became visible once more, before falling to the floor in exhaustion. "Oh snap!" Iris shot out, a bit too loud. She looked to the warehouse- the person was nowhere in sight.

She grabbed a small phone out of her pocket, and pressed the number three. Holding the device in her hands, she waited for a reply- after seven rings, it went to voice mail. "We need help; back up and now. Sending co-ordinates." After hanging up, she tapped some numbers into her phone, and sent them on.

"You just about done, Sweetie Pie?" Iris jolted at the sudden source of sound, turning so quickly that her phone dropped to the floor in the process. It slid along the ground, coming to a stop at the shining black shoes of the figure from before. He stepped onto the mobile, crushing it without much effort. She swore she'd seen that face before; or more, heard about that face. Her father's tales described more than heroes, they also detailed every aspect of villains. She didn't need to think hard to know that she was screwed. The Joker smiled sweetly, before swiftly grabbing Iris by the arms, and pulling her towards him, "Now, Pumpkin. How about you tell me; have you ever wondered what it's like to die?"

Iris didn't reply, she just screamed as the Joker went cross-eyed, and fell on top of her. Shifty re-appeared behind his form, wiping his hands with a satisfied smile on his face. Iris scrambled to a standing position. She glanced to the spot she had last seen Jacob, before turning to his place at that moment, and pulling him into a hug. She tried to brush away her tears, before stepping away from him. Jacob scowled, "We gotta get home- he'll be up any minute!"

Iris had never been so afraid in her life, her heart pumping against her chest; she wondered why on earth the Joker of all people had waited for them. She wondered if he had planned the whole thing. She was deathly afraid that he would wake up any second. Before anything could be answered however, she squeezed Jacob's hand, and started to run again, lugging him behind her.

"IRIS! Wrong way!" Jacob frantically called behind her, but Iris seemed single-minded. She shook her head as she sped along, "Nope- we need to look in the warehouse! He said there were seven men; which might mean seven injured men at this point!"

Jacob tried to press his feet to the floor, madly trying to pull out of Iris grip, "Are you _cray-cray, _Impulse? Seven injured, but ARMED men, if any at all! It was a trap! A trap that we fell into! Let's accept that, and get home before-".

Iris came to a standstill beside the storage building, out of breath, "Before what, Jake?" Before-"

"You really are stubborn, flower. Your friend is right." The Joker strolled onto the pavement surrounding the building at a leisurely pace. His stark white face looked all too menacing in the darkening light. A few street lamps struggled to flick on as Iris backed away. Jacob held his ground; he was either frozen up with fear, or extremely brave. Both would cause his death.

Iris growled for him to back-up slightly, but he ignored her. She watched him through squinting eyes. She had never realised how valiant his stance was, or the white glow that surrounded his very being. He stepped forwards slightly, and the Joker stopped moving onwards, giving a short quaking laugh. Iris begged Jacob to move back again, in an ignored whisper.

* * *

Dick strode into the dining room. Zatanna sat in the wooden chair directly in front of him, skimming through books that Artemis had left on the table. He pulled up a chair and scooted closer to her. She acknowledged him with a small smile, before shutting the book she was looking over and turning to look at him. She brushed her black hair out of her eyes, "Do you honestly not want to wear the orange tie?" She paused before sighing, "Wally told me."

Dick laughed, and scooted ever closer to his fiancé, "How about an orange vest instead?" Zatanna smirked and batted his arm with her hand, "And what- a black bowtie?" She chuckled, but Dick pecked her on the cheek, looking excited, "Exactly, Babe! So glad you understand!"

Zatanna rolled her eyes, "Well, actually, we were thi-"A soft beeping interrupted her. It began to grow in frequency and volume the more time passed. Dick pulled his phone out from his pocket, taking a look at the screen and furrowing his brow, "Iris need's help- she sent co-ordinates."

Zatanna stood up quickly, "Let's go then!"

Dick nodded, "These co-ordinates are in Gotham! It'll take us ages to get there!"

The sorceress raised her eyebrows, "Honey, Zeta tubes?" She forcefully grabbed his arm, and rushed out of the room with him in tow.

* * *

Jacob took another step towards the Joker. Iris examined his posture again- it was rigid. He was concentrating. She knew he was not only regretting his decision, but also trying to turn invisible. She feared that his act of heroism would end badly, as the Joker strode forwards again, fumbling with something in his pocket as he did so. His bright red lips curled into a chilling smile when he latched onto the item, which he pulled out with haste.

Iris moaned, before pushing herself forwards, to stand in line with Jacob, "Who carries a crow-bar around in their pocket?" Iris taunted, crossing her arms over her chest. She shivered slightly, instantly filling up with regret. Jacob looked at her with apprehension, before caving in, and eyeing the Joker. He took a shaky breath, and stuck out his tongue, "I know, Impulse. But the thing that concerns me most is the colour of his _skin. _Now, I'm no doctor- but last time I checked, chalk-white isn't healthy."

The Joker laughed hysterically, holding his stomach as he began to pace faster towards the children, "Aww! Look at them! Look at them trying to be brave! You know what? You know what!? That'll be brownie points for you!"

Iris giggled weakly, "Brownie points? I knew you were a Girl Scout! Tell me; are you good with knots?" The Joker raised his green eyebrows, "And I thought I was mad..." He mumbled to himself.

Jacob frowned, "That was the que..."

A bright light lit up the night before Iris or Jake could worry anymore; sparks of blue emanated from a hover board. The rider hopped off, brushing his hands against his shirt, "You two are in _deep _trouble." It was Static, and he didn't look happy. He brought himself in between the two youths and the Joker, snarling.

The roar of a beast came into ear shot, and a green tiger pounced into the scene, circling the fiend. Water encircled the clown, before speeding a short distance away, and solidifying into the form of Mitch.

Ed, clad in a blue costume which covered every part of his body, including his face, jumped off a roof nearby, followed by Lian, who looked furious as she held her bow in a ready position. Wondergirl flew in to join them, fists at the ready.

The six surrounded the Joker, keeping space between him, and the two younger children, who stared at a small part of their team in disbelief. The Joker, however, looked at ease- he looked eager, in fact.

He clapped his hands together, and swung his crowbar around, trying to hit Beast Boy, who lunged out-of-the-way. Static sighed; sending sparks at the Joker's back. They missed by a mere millimetre. The Joker tutted, "Isn't that a sign or _rudeness? _Hitting your opponent when their back is turned?" Static had no time to react as the crowbar smashed him in the side. He flew to the left, lying motionless on the sidewalk.

The Joker expertly dodged any angry shots that came his way after that, slamming his crowbar into anything that moved. Iris was faster than everything that moved, however, and managed to land a punch in the grown mans jaw before been swept to the side by one of his arms.

As the Joker celebrated knocking Iris down, Cassie caught him by surprise, holding him back as Lian began to shoot arrows his way. Ed jumped up next to Lian, wiping his brown hair away from his eyes, "Let me hit him!" He squeezed his eyes shut, and after a brief flash of blue light, a blue arrow laid in his place. Lian shot it at the Joker almost instantly, and the arrow morphed back into Ed, a fist in place of his sharp arrow-head. The Joker stumbled backwards at the impact, and an invisible Shifty crept up behind the man- kicking him over with the flick of his leg before pouncing out-of-the-way. The Joker laughed manically as he tried to stand up.

Goop sprawled out on the floor, concentrating. His finger tips became water, and soon, the small trickle flowing out of them, became a puddle under the crazed man, who laid on the floor still, holding his nose and grinning up at the sky with an untamed expression in his eyes.

Static sent sparks to the water, and the Joker began to fry- the electricity coursing though him. It seemed to catch up with Mitch too- he was thrown backwards by the action, hitting a wall on his way down.

Iris stood up, joining the other standing team members, glaring at the Joker, "Is that it?" She moved closer to the lifeless body on the floor, cocking her head slowly to the side, to look at the man.

His yellow eyes snapped open as soon as she was near enough to him, and she screamed as he reached out with his blackened hands to grab her. Iris shut her eyes in panic, shouting the first thing that came into her head, "YOU MUST BE GOOD WITH KNOTS!"

The team looked puzzled for a moment, as did the Joker, who stopped trying to grab Iris. The red-heads secret call was answered though, _"Pu mih eit!" _A rope twisted itself around the Joker. He squirmed for a moment, before gurgling with laughter.

Jacob looked at the man with a worried expression, running to Iris and pulling her away from him. His concern fleeted however, _"Mih gag dna..." _The Jokers mouth was covered with masking tape, and Zatanna landed next to the children with an anxious look on her face. Dick landed beside her, hopping off the roof of a nearby building.

He rushed to Iris, holding her in a tight hug before looking at the team in amazement. "Woah- nice moves guys!"

Jacob frowned, "You were watching us get beat?"

Dick smirked, "Only towards the end." He looked at Iris, smiling, "We were just waiting for our que." He looked at the Joker, whose eyes became as large as saucers. The man tried to mumble something, but Dick just rolled his eyes, kicking the psycho in the face, "Shut. Up." He gritted his teeth in absolute rage, but Zatanna grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from doing anything he would later regret.

It was only after that, that the team began to cheer and converse in an excited manner.

* * *

Iris wandered into the Hall of Justice, rubbing her arm. It'd been a few days since the incident, and though she was still shaken up, she was glad that the team was getting along, and treating her better. She'd actually managed to hold up a conversation with Mitch after the fight, and though she had been the one who needed saving, the team had _thanked _her for it, stating that it had brought them together.

There was only one thing she was deathly worried about though.

Iris wandered into Mitch's room. It was deprived of any _visible_ living person, but Iris sat down next to 'Mix and Match Mound' and starting talking any way, "Jake. I'm super sorry that I got you into that mess before. I really am- and I know you probably hate me for been so stubborn and stuff, but-"

"Hate you?" Jacob appeared beside Iris, though she wasn't startled. "Iris! That was AWESOME! I've never had so much fun in my life! I got to see the team fighting first hand, and I stood up to the Joker!" He gave her a one-armed hug, before quickly looking in the other direction, flustered, "Thanks!"

Iris quickly turned to look at her friend, shell-shocked by his reply. He smirked and jumped off the bed they were sitting on, "We should do it more often, Impulse! I'm up for it whenever you are!"

Iris opened her mouth to express her excitement, but was stopped by her belt's in-built walkie-talkie, "_Bank Robbery, 6 Elm Street, Happy Harbour. We need backup."_

Iris looked up at Jacob, beaming, "You up for it?"He sent a wide smile her way, and held out his hand for her to take. The two sped off out of the room, laughing all the way to the crime scene.

**There. That was soooo long! **

**And I had WRITERS BLOCK too! So, maybe I deserve a pat on the back for getting that out? Or maybe all I deserve is a flame...haaha. **

**Please tell me what you thought, and how many sittings it took for you to read through that!**

**-Me**


	45. Snakes

**Snakes**

**Thank you for everything guys- I reckon Jacob will be popping up in later chapters if you guys want?**

**I'm stuck on what to do with the next chapter, T. It was originally Time, but I need to actually have an idea of what I will write for it. Send in requests?**

**Well, otherwise, enjoy the chapter, and wish Iris a happy birthday!**

**This is set at the start of December, Iris is a winter baby! Well- a summer baby over here, but, you get the idea. **

**Please leave a review!**

"Oh my gosh! It's _so _cute!" Iris stared in awe at the snake in its tank.

Dick placed his arms onto her shoulders, "I know! That's Molly, and she can kill you in less than five minutes if she manages to wrap around you!" Dick seemed almost too enthusiastic towards the end of his wording.

Iris shrieked, clapping her hands together in glee, "I want one!"

Dick furrowed his brow and turned to Artemis, who was scowling, "Is that _normal?" _Artemis rolled her eyes in reply, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards slightly, "I think we've justified already that no one in my family is normal." She sighed, looking back to her daughter, who was tapping the enclosure glass of Dick's python. The blonde snarled slightly, "You were supposed to convince her to _not _want a snake."

Dick shrugged, "Obviously the fact that they could kill her, doesn't deter her." He winked at Artemis, who pulled a face. Dick turned back to Iris, lifting her up, and spinning her around in the air, "I got you some birthday presents! They're in your room upstairs; go check them out!"

Iris nodded happily, and flung herself out of the room. Artemis stared at Dick, bog eyed, "She has a room here...in your house?"

Dick waved his hand nonchalantly, "And now she also has her own TV, a six-foot tall stuffed bear and a moped." He smirked at Artemis, who couldn't close her mouth, before flashing a grin, "No biggie."

* * *

Wally sat in his swivel chair, spinning around in it, while trying to keep watch on the basic clock on the wall, "Ten more minutes." He sucked in a deep breath, and began piling files on his desk on top of each other, his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He didn't normally wear them, but it had been a long day, he had a pounding headache and his vision was swimming. There was a quick knock at the door, and with one wistful look at the clock, which signalled that he could go home, he allowed the person to enter.

A tall man, wearing pin-striped pants and a lap coat wandered in, brushing some yellow strands of hair out of his time-worn face. He smiled wildly as soon as he caught the attention of his college, and skipped towards the desk, "The lab assistants say they want you to check something out in the lab, boss!" He stated eagerly, trying to blow some wandering strands of hair from his eyes.

Wally shrugged, "It'll have to wait- it's my daughter's birthday today, and I kind of wanted to get home on time." He sighed as he looked back of the clock; the chances of that were very slim. The man clapped a hand onto Wally's slouched shoulders, and chuckled, "Wish her happiness from me!" The man pulled his arm away, and crossed his arms over his chest, a sneaky smile on his face, "Sir, you've told us how badly you wanted to do lab work for ages! With all due respect, this isn't something you can just pass-up on!"

Wally groaned, before grimacing and standing. He slammed his palms down onto his work-desk, "No offense, Mr Martin, but it's not your place to tell me what I have to look at." Martin bit his lip, backing up slightly. Wally hated been harsh, and so, letting his features melt into something reminiscent of a smile, he paced towards the door, sighing dramatically, "I guess I can let it slip; is it a sample of some sort?"

Mr Martin lit up, and held the door open for his boss, nodding keenly, before leading the man away.

* * *

Iris sat at the dining room table, sniggering. Artemis eyed her suspiciously before taking a seat beside her, "Who's coming over then?" She asked. She was referring to the small party she had allowed her daughter to have; the guests would be arriving shortly.

Iris giggled, "Alice; we made up since the party."

Artemis squinted, "I haven't driven you to Palo Alto in a while." She raised her eyebrows, "How on earth would you have gotten there enough to talk with her, and make-up?" She question with mock inquisition.

Iris rolled her eyes, beaming, "Would I be in trouble if I told you that I sneak out to visit her?"

Artemis moaned, before sighing, "I suppose not today; it's your birthday. But tomorrow?" Artemis cracked her knuckles, a menacing grin playing at her features. Iris' eyes became as large as plates, and her mouth dropped open. It took her a while to stutter out a laugh and continue, "Then I also invited Bethel; seen as she knows my secret, I'm afraid if I don't she'll tell everyone." Iris sighed and traced a pattern in the wooden table with a pointed finger, "And then I invited some of the team too."

Artemis' eyebrows darted up, and she showed her teeth as her lips pulled upwards, "Lian and Jacob, I suppose?" Iris nodded without putting much thought into it, before laughing quietly to herself and standing, "Lian can only come for an hour; she has Karate at six. Bethel said she'd come around five thirty. Alice told me she could only sleep-over, so she'll be here at eight."

Artemis nodded, "And Jacob?"A knock at their door answered her question.

* * *

Wally finally managed to get out of the lab- he'd spent half an hour analysing an interesting amber sample, and he desperately wanted to get home. He took a quick trip back to his office. Devastation hit him when he found a woman stood outside his door. He whined softly, before making his way towards her. This woman never left him alone; since his first day on the job she'd been bringing him lunch and asking him personal questions. It seemed, she didn't know the meaning of the words 'personal bubble'.

He could tell she was flirting madly with him, but he'd told her more times than he could count that he had a wife and children, and yet that didn't seem to stop her from paying visits to his office on a daily basis, and trying to sit near him at every staff meeting.

"Miss Stevens, what a surprise." Wally spoke in a dreary voice as he concentrated on unlocking his door. Miss Stevens, a curvaceous woman with thick, dark curls and camel eyelashes squealed in glee, and pushed into Wally's office as soon as the door was open. She handed him a few yellow files, before taking a seat on his desk, swinging her legs as she glanced around the mostly maroon room. Wally grunted and shoved the files into his desk drawer, "I'll be getting home now, Miss Stevens. It's my daughter's birthday..."

The woman slid slowly off the table, pouting, "It's Erin, Wallace; I've told you many a time." She wandered towards his open door, and shut it slowly, locking it from the inside, before turning to smile at him again. He chewed on his tongue, before glaring at the woman, "You may feel like you're on familiar terms with me, _Erin_, but I would prefer if you referred to me as Mr West from now on." He exhaled loudly, and brushed past her, trying to unlock his door.

Erin grabbed one of his hands, and pulled him away from the exit, staring seductively into his emerald eyes, which shut in frustration. Wally squeezed a breath out of his mouth, which became a thin line, before thrusting his free hand in front of her face, an exasperated expression on his features, "I'm a MARRIED man! How many times do I need to tell you?" He motioned to his fourth finger with a sense of urgency, "You're a literate woman! Lemme spell it out for you! M-A-R-"

Erin pushed her plump, red stained lips against his, winking as she pulled away, "Guys are so much hotter when they're hard to get.

Wally wiped his mouth angrily with his sleeve, "-R-I-E-D!" Erin flashed a smile at him, before unlocking his door, and tapping out of the room. Wally hit his head softly against the wall, and ran a hand through his ruffled hair.

His phone broke the embarrassed silence, and he answered promptly. It was Artemis, and her voice was very hard to make out, "Babe? I can hardly hear you! Are you going through a tunnel?"

Wally barely made out a yes, before groaning, "What did you get Iris? I'm heading home!" Wally heard the word 'aches' before Artemis hung up. He rubbed his eyes, still talking into his mobile, "Why the heck would Iris want pain for her birthday?"

* * *

Wally wasn't far off. If something went wrong, Iris could be inside the stomach of a reptile in the not so distant future. "Which one do you want?" Artemis sighed as Iris sped around the reptile specialist shop, pressing her face to each tank. As soon as Lian had left the party, and Bethel had failed to show, the archer had decided to go get her daughter a gift. She had no idea how Iris had managed to convince her, but she desperately wanted her daughter to hurry up before she changed her mind.

Jacob stood next to Artemis, chuckling to himself as Artemis frantically watched her daughter. A shriek of delight signalled to the blonde that the child had found something to her liking. Jacob sped to the sound of happiness, and Artemis dragged her feet along the floor until she reached the tank Iris was pushed against.

The shop owner followed suit, seemingly impressed. "A Corn Snake? Those are THE best for first time snake owners!" He waddled over to Iris, and patted the cage of a three-foot long 'creamsicle' snake. "Handle it about three times a week and it'll be your best friend." He smiled smugly and rubbed the back of his neck as Artemis glared at the reptile through the glass pane of its enclosure. She tapped the glass, the snake completely ignoring the knocks.

"Will it grow any bigger?" Artemis asked, moving away from the snake and holding an infatuated Iris close.

The store owner shrugged, "They average five feet."

"Does this one eat _live_ food?" Artemis wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered, to demonstrate her disgust. The owner chuckled, holding his protruding stomach, "Yes Ma'am- but it'll settle for frozen." Jacob cringed, tiptoeing out of the conversation, and immersing himself in the isle of lizards to his left.

Artemis nodded, licking her lips slightly. She sent a genuine smile his way, before boring her stormy eyes into the matching ones of her daughter; "You sure, Iris? It's a big job, and the whole family will have to chip in."

Iris nodded briskly, "Mom. I'm great with Dasher, am I not?"

Artemis made a face, looking away from her offspring with haste.

* * *

"_MOM! Hold the dog down! I need to put this tutu on her!"_

"_Erm...why?" Artemis struggled with calming Dasher down; she was whimpering, tail between her legs, staring wide-eyed at Iris._

_Iris shrugged, "There's no _reason _to it. She'll just look better!"_

* * *

"_Did you feed Dasher, Iris?" Iris looked up from her video game, digging into the bag in her lap full off small brown biscuits. She crunched a few of the contents in her mouth, "Dasher?" She spat out crumbs as she tried to answer her mother._

_Artemis groaned, "Those are dog treats, Iris." Iris stuck out her tongue, the mashed biscuits lying upon it. She grimaced, trying to keep her tongue as far away from her as possible, before speeding out of the room to disinfect her mouth._

* * *

Artemis grunted a 'yes', before turning back to the owner, "How much is the corn snake, then?"

The shop-keeper smirked, "And the twenty gallon tank? And under tank heat pad? Do you have a water bowl?"

Artemis shook her head, already counting up the final price in her mind. She stared grimly at the retailer, "I guess we also need frozen mice- and something for the snake to _slither _on, something it can hide under too." She glared at her daughter, heaving a sigh, "Oh Lordie, this is one heck of a gift, Iris." The girl giggled and let her attention drift back to the corn-snake.

The archer shrugged, "We'll take the snake and the necessities."

The storekeeper rubbed his hands together, "That'll be $135, and I'll throw in twenty pinkie mice and a handbook for free."

Iris clapped her hands and hugged her mother's waist, "Thank you, mommy!" She composed herself when she noticed Jacob watching her out of the corner of her eye. Jacob wandered back to the group, sighing in content, "Now all you need to do is think of a name, Iris!" He smirked and pointed to himself enthusiastically.

Iris hummed, before nodding, "Steve."

"Steve!?" Jacob looked distressed, "My ame-nay is ACOB-JAY!"

The merchant tittered softly, "That'll have to be Stevette, Kiddo."

* * *

Wally finally wandered into his home. He noticed Artemis fiddling with a large aquarium in the corner of the living room upon entry. He ran up to her, cocking his head to the side, "You got Iris fish?"

Artemis signalled a no with her head, "A snake."

Wally threw himself backwards, away from the enclosure, "WHY?" He began sucking in deep breaths.

Artemis stood, wiping her hands on her pants, "Several reasons." She showed Wally her hand, "Dick had a compelling case, Iris wanted it...and you hate them." With each point, a finger folded towards her palm. Wally cried out, dropping his briefcase to the floor and stomping out of the room, leaving a very satisfied Artemis to smile to herself.

**There. Leave a review if you get the chance please!**

**-Me**


	46. Twisted Truths

**Twisted Truths**

**Thank you superbubbles for the title and thank you everyone who prompted this type of idea! **

**This chapter is set just before Christmas. The twins are 8 months, but are not in this chapter. Sorry. ;-;**

**And this chapter is rated T for a very small reason, btw. Nothing vulgar, but don't say I didn't warn you. **

**Also, before I begin, I have a few questions:**

**Next chapter starts with U. So far I have 'undercover' prompted, but I'm not sure what I can do with it. Please send prompts or titles? The same goes for V, guys. The other (last four) chapters are planned out, but I can't begin properly writing them until I have the others.**

**I want to write a bluepulse (Jaime/Bart) story. I ship them like crazy! Would anyone be interested in it? Can someone prompt me an idea for it? **

**A few of you wanted this: so here it is! Hope you enjoy and please leave review.**

Wally stiffened at the knocking on his office door. He took a deep breath, and glanced at the analogue clock on his maroon splashed walls; it was one thirty. Lunch time. And that knocking could mean only one thing.

The handle twisted round, and a curvy figure strutted into the room. Its legs like twigs sat oddly in the stiletto heels of their owner; Erin Stevens. She giggled and made her way up to Wally's desk, pushing some blue paperwork under his hands. She gave him a smug smile, which he didn't return. In fact, he scowled, and flicked open the files, raising an eyebrow, "There's nothing here; Miss Stevens. Perhaps you should come back _later, _when I'm not on my break, to give me the correct documentation?"

Erin chortled, brushing her wavy locks out of her face. Wally sighed, "That wasn't a joke. Please do NOT sit on my desk."

Erin pouted, sliding slowly, almost seductively off the wood top, "Boss, you obviously didn't look in the last file." She gave him an overly forced wink, and began tapping her French-nails upon his writing-table. Wally groaned, opening the folder Erin had suggested. He quickly shut it, handing it back to her in disgust, "Giving me dirty pictures of yourself won't give you a promotion, Miss Stevens."

The woman fluttered her eyelashes, and strode towards the exit, swaying her hips, "I suppose you are correct, Sir. I'll take a _different _approach." She shut the door quietly, sneaking away with her photographs.

"Not taking _any _approach would be a lot better." Wally mumbled, taking out some papers and beginning to read over them.

A swift knocking interrupted Wally again when lunch was over. He supposed it was a worker, wanting to get straight back to doing their job, needing guidance from the boss. He chuckled; he was so incorrect. Erin walked into the room, arching her eyebrows, "Pleased to see me, Mr West?"

Wally rolled his eyes, "The exact opposite." He guessed that Erin hadn't heard him, as she placed a cup of coffee onto his table. He noticed that she was holding some folders again. She beamed and walked around his desk, crouching down next to him, and breathing down his neck as she spoke, "You're married, Chief?"

Wally didn't look up from his work, but snapped back, "Happily, if I may add." He moaned, before giving a fleeting look to the woman beside him, "I've told you a thousand times, and I'll hold to my case."

Erin gave a loud, obnoxious laugh, before returning to the side of Wally's face. She spotted his briefcase at his feet, and pushed herself upwards, to lean against his desk. Carefully placing some files onto his palm-down hands, she sighed, and strode out of the room, leaning against the doorway to wink, and blow Wally a kiss.

The red-haired speedster winced, and picked up the files, opening them with one eye open. It was just regular paper-work that needed signing. He breathed a sigh of relief, placed his signature on the papers, and glanced at to whom they were addressed; Head of Lab Equipment, Jonathon Ives.

Wally stood, taking the papers into his hands; he needed to discuss some things with the stated man, and it would be far faster if he delivered them himself. Considering Ives was only three floors down, it wouldn't be a difficult mission. He took a sip of his coffee; bitter, before leaving the room.

Erin watched him get into the elevator, before rushing to his door. It was locked. She snarled slightly, prior to removing a diamond encrusted pin from the bun atop her head. She'd done it before; it wasn't a complex task. She heard the click of the lock, and swung the door open slowly.

She hurried straight to Wally's writing desk, getting down onto her knees. She fumbled with his briefcase, it coming open as quickly as the door had done. Smiling sneakily, she placed several files into the case, closing it once more and speeding out of the room.

* * *

Artemis knocked on Iris door, humming to herself. She strode in, chuckling when she saw Jacob and her daughter immersed in a book.

She placed the laundry basket down to the floor, removing Iris folded items from it, and placing them on top of her daughters pink bed, "What are you two laughing at?"

Jacob pressed a hand to his mouth, trying to cease his giggles, but Iris just laughed harder. Through small gasps, she tried to get her words out, "H-how c-come- you-you d-didn't-"

Jacob composed himself, looking sternly at Iris, "Ont-day ell-tay er-hay!"

The red-haired girl shrugged, "Ine-fay!" She laid down on top of the book, obviously hoping that it would deter her mother, who just sighed, "I speak pig-latin too. What aren't you guys showing me?"

Jacob went wide-eyed, grasping Iris shoulder, "She's onto us! Hide!" Both he and Iris instantly turned invisible. Artemis listened to giggles and pattering footsteps around her, before rolling her eyes, and grabbing the book laid upon Iris peach carpet. She chuckled as soon as she saw the title, "Where's Wally? I think I know what I'm getting your father for Christmas, Rissy."

Iris instantly reappeared before her mother, snarling, "I-R-I-S! And you'll have to get your own! This is Jakes!"

Jacob showed himself by Iris side, smiling sweetly, "Mrs Iris' Mom, you can have the book if you want- I have loads back at HQ."

Artemis beamed, grabbing onto Jacob's cheeks with her hands, "Thank you, Sweetie!" she ruffled his hair while he flushed red and Iris glared, "You're embarrassing him..." She spoke quietly, through gritted teeth.

Artemis cringed, before looking back at the book again, "Where's our Wally?" She handed Jacob the picture-book, and checked her wrist-watch. Her typical husband was an hour late.

She, and Iris, almost jumped out of their skin, when the door burst open, and Wally flung himself into the room, laughing, holding Jai atop his shoulders. Iris collected herself, noting that Jacob looked incredibly upset. She decided she'd ask him about it later, but for that moment, she focused on galloping towards her father, beginning to ramble on about her accomplishments that day.

Wally let Jai down, laughing, before lifting Iris and squeezing her into a hug. He placed a quick kiss onto Artemis forehead, and then turned his attention to the golden-haired boy, holding a book depicting a human wearing a red and white striped sweater, on the cover. "Have we met?" He brushed Iris hair with his hand as he brought her back down to the floor. She hugged his waist in reply. Jai skipped out of the room, occupied with chasing Dasher.

Artemis flushed slightly, "I'll go clean your work-stuff, Wally." He nodded; Artemis was usually the one who organised all of his files in alphabetical order, and placed them into the study so he could find them with ease later on.

Jacob shook his head, smirking, "I'm on Iris team!" He held out his hand for Mr West, who clutched onto his daughter, before giving the boy a warm smile and firmly gripping his hand.

The moment ended, however, when Artemis strode back into the room, eyes full of tears, a hand to her mouth. She was clutching onto several blue files, which she quickly dropped to the floor when she made-eye contact with her husband. Her shock seemed to dissipate, and become anger. Her nostrils flared and she raised a hand to hit her husband.

Iris shrunk away as soon as the loud slap reached her eyes and ears. "Get. Out. Iris." Artemis roared, and Iris obeyed, grabbing Jacob's hand, and running out of the room. As soon as the children were out of sight, and the door was shut, Artemis snarled loudly, "How _dare _ you."

Wally contorted his face into a frown, "What did I do, Artemis?" He rubbed his cheek, which was becoming a scarlet red. The blonde shook her head slowly, "You betrayed me! I don't understand why people like you do it! You have four children, Wallace! And a wife; if you're unhappy, you're supposed to figure something out to change that, or leave...not _cheat." _She spat out the last word, holding onto herself. Her bloodshot eyes looked into the stunned ones of her husband.

"Babe! I have no idea what your-"

Artemis crouched down, flinging a file into his hands, "Miss Stevens, eye? Never knew you liked women who _sleep around_!"

Wally frowned, opening the file, before throwing it to the floor in revulsion. More pictures of an indecent Erin. The photos made Wally gag; and he wasn't surprised that they had that effect on Artemis either. He grabbed Artemis shaking hand, trying to calm her down, "Let me explain! You know full well I would never do that!"

Artemis nodded in defeat, and slouched, taking a seat on the floor and holding her head with one hand. Wally bit his lip, before snarling "This woman put them there- she must've."

Artemis groaned, clutching her chest, "Prove it, Wally." He thought for a moment, before his eyes shot open, and he rushed out of the room. Artemis shook her head, scowling.

Wally returned within minutes, holding a small, diamond encrusted pin in his hands, "I found this beside my briefcase before I left work; _it's hers._" It was almost too lucky, that Erin didn't take much care when she hurried out of the room that day.

Artemis frowned, and Wally bent down, to cup her face with his hand. He was shaking with anger, but he tried to breathe slowly before he spoke, "I have a plan, and I really hope you'll hear me out." His wife didn't even think about it, she nodded her head curtly- she wanted so badly to believe that Wally was telling the truth.

* * *

Wally spun around in his swivel chair. He had arrived at work an hour ago, and he was becoming impatient. He already wanted the day to end. He bit his lip as soon as he heard fumbling with the door handle; Mr Martin strode into the room, trying to push his glasses up his nose while waving a sheet in his hand, "Didn't knock! Sorry! Lab now! BREAKTHROUGH!" He breathed heavily, before skidding out of the room, Wally quickly following.

The room was empty for about half an hour, until a sneaky fox by the name of Erin Stevens swung into the area. She tapped the wall with her finger nails, and made her way to the desk of her boss. She took a seat in the chair, spinning around, before placing a file onto his desk and chuckling, "Wonder if his wife found the others?" She sighed, "He's as good as mine." She took a look at the photograph on Wally's desk; him surrounded by family.

Something seemed to snap inside the woman- her pupils dilated and her face became an ugly, angry-looking thing. She took out a red sharpie, grabbing the photo, and frantically scribbling out Artemis face, "My face will be there...it'll be there soon." She laughed hysterically to herself; her eyes still wide as she began to cross out other faces on the picture.

"Wow. That's really overly creepy. It's a good thing you think out loud- though I suggest you speak to a psychologist."

Erin turned quickly in the chair, coming face to face with Artemis, who cracked her knuckles. Artemis moved closer to Erin, who scrambled off her seat and tried to jump over the table. Artemis punched Erin in the nose, growling, as soon as the woman failed her leap, "I have good aim." She punched the woman again, perhaps harder than she needed too. Erin slumped against the table, barely able to keep her eyes open.

Artemis continued, "Let's get some things straight; me and my husband love each other very much. Try and get in between that again, and I will _kill_ you."

Erin laughed, trying to keep her eyes open, "Wally will rush back to me as soon as he sees what a-"She brushed some blood away from her nose, "-monster you are." She put her hands out in front of herself defensively, hitting Artemis in the side, before trying to rush upwards again.

Artemis gave a harsh laugh, and was soon joined by one much deeper. Wally strode to the table, glaring at Erin, "I think we both know who the real monster is here." He handed the drowsy woman a sheet of paper, "A form of resignation; you're fired, Erin- but we're gonna pretend you _chose _to leave."

Erin looked at Wally in terror, standing and moving towards the door. Wally crossed his arms over his chest, and Artemis put an arm around him, "If you ever try to get in between us again..."

Erin nodded, before scowling, "This isn't the last you'll see of me!" She laughed manically, running a hand through her now, tousled hair.

Wally shrugged, "It's the last time we'll see you in this building."

Artemis pecked Wally on the cheek, and Erin scowled, storming out of the room. The archer swelled with pride at her accomplishment, before leaving the room as well, "Please hire an old, married, _respectable_ woman next time..."

Wally nodded quickly, "Trust me honey, you're not that only one who hopes I will."

**There. Done. I'm, really tired now actually, after writing that.**

**Hope you enjoyed the Erin whump. **

**Review?**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**-Me**


	47. Uncanny and Undercover

**GUYS! TODAY I AM CELEBRATING MY TWO YEARS ON FANFICTION!;-;**

**Thank you to everyone who had helped me get this far! Please review! But most of all Read and Enjoy! **

**Was originally Undercover, but now is Uncanny and Undercover. **

**This is set in the middle of January- the twins are 9 months. Iris is now 8. At the birth of the wins, Jai was 3 and 2 months, which brings him now to the grand age of 3 and 11 months. I think you can all guess what may occur soon...**

**Sorry this has taken a while to get out; this is predominantly Wally/Artemis, Dick/Zatanna with some Jai. Hope you like it. Thank you for oaktavor for the original title, idea helps by irenrb, xXRandomnessXx and superbubbles. **

"When's Momma and Daddy getting back?" Jai questioned, swinging his feet as he sat on a plastic chair.

Mary West, a happy woman, living now on the large side of life, sent a beaming smile his way. Her faded orange locks curled around her features, which were accented by 'smile-lines'. She wiped her hands dry on her flower-print red dress, before quickly rushing to her grandchild, and hoisting him up, squeezing him to herself.

He nuzzled slightly, before pushing away once more, "When's Mom and Dad come back?" His expression was one of deep concern, but he couldn't help smiling when his Grandma placed a light kiss on his freckled face and placed him down to the floor, "You look so much like your father, Jaiyden." Jai scrunched up his nose at his full name, before sighing and taking a seat next to his Grandmother on the couch that she had made her way to. He patted her hand with his, before pointing to the fireplace, forgetting his previous question. Photographs stood gleaming on the mantelpiece. While everything else in the room collected dust, these images were the centre and pride of Mary's heart- or so Jai supposed, as they looked like they had been lifted and dusted a lot.

Mary smiled kindly again, before shakily standing up, refraining from making a big scene of how her muscles ached when she did. She softly held Jai's finger, before pulling it downwards, and condemn the boy- though in a way that only she could, sternly, but with so much love one could only listen and act instantly upon her words. Mary motioned with her face to the pictures, her lips tugging upwards, "The one on the far left-"

Jai looked at a photo of a jovial couple. It was slightly faded, but a colour photo nevertheless. The woman in the image looked a lot like his grandmother, only this woman had far darker, almost red hair, and very bright green eyes. His grandmother looked so much duller and faded-out in contrast. The woman in the image was wearing white. Big, creamy pearls around her neck stood out. A man was stood next to the woman, wearing a black suit. He was quite large, but had a slim neck. It looked almost like his head was floating on a box-of-a-body. He had thick brown hair, translucent spectacles on the bridge of his somewhat crooked nose, and a smile the size of Venus on his peachy face.

Mary continued, "That is a photo of me, and Grandpa Rudie on our wedding day." She laughed to herself, wiping her wet eyes on her sleeve. Jai looked at her in anxiety, grimacing, "Why are you sad, Nana?"

Mary shook her head, not talking. One could have asked any adult in the family, or even the small community, and could have found that Mary was still feeling extremely guilty for sending her husband away to a nursing home. Although, her son, for example, knew that she had done so because she was overwhelmed by how hard it was to care for Rudolph, and Rudolph himself had asked to be moved, no one could convince Mary to see that she had done the right thing.

* * *

Zatanna twirled around; the dress, like water, flowed around her, accenting her curves and dripping down to her toes. It was light blue; matching the excited eyes of Dick Grayson, who watched his fiancé spin on the spot. He clapped, chuckling, before motioning with his fingers for her to twirl around once more. Zatanna happily did so, laughing to herself, before holding her head slightly, "I'm a little dizzy now..." She laughed as she made her way to Nightwing, placing herself in his wide open arms. He kissed her on her forehead, smiling to himself, "You look stunning. It'll be a nice dress for the second day..."

"Whipped!" A choked out word came from the dressing-stalls. Dick pushed Zatanna away slightly, craning his neck to look at the closed, red velvet, curtains. He arched an eyebrow, before kissing Zatanna on the cheek once more, "How about you go find some matching shoes too?"

"Whiiiiiiped!" A more feminine yell was heard once more, again from the curtains. Dick strode over to the area he had heard the voices from, Zatanna following him closely. He pressed a finger to his lips, and motioned with his head to the stall on the far right. He tiptoed slowly to the area, quickly smirking when whispers met his ears, "Do you think I should have put on an accent or something?" A quick, hushed voice of a very recognisable woman questioned someone. The 'someone' replied with an eager laugh, "How about; the next thing he says, we scream out together...with French accents?" The male voice seemed excited, and Dick listened to a silent pause, in which the woman it had been directed to listened.

Dick rolled his eyes, and placed an arm around Zatanna. He smirked; he was going to lead them on. He placed a chaste kiss to her lips, before pulling away, letting their noses touch, "You are the wind beneath my wings; and you are my happiness and my world- go choose whatever you want," Zatanna raised an eyebrow, but Dick shook his head quickly, pointing to the stall from which sniggers were coming out of. As if on que, two 'French' people chorused once more, "LE WHIPPED!"

Dick strode towards the booth, smiling, "Wally, Artemis. You two actually _cannot _put on French accents for the life of you..."

Wally and Artemis waddled out of the dressing-room, looking dejected. Wally bit his lip, "_Nous étions en train de s'amuser ..."_

Artemis chortled, "Since when do you speak French...?"

Wally sighed, "I learnt it for you, babe. You know; language of love." He winked before throwing a hand over the shoulders of his wife.

Dick took out a water bottle from Zatanna's handbag slowly, before taking a gulp of water- and then spat it out, laughing like a mad man. Wally tried to wipe away the mix of spit and fizzy water from his eyes, while Artemis just scowled. Dick punched the blonde playfully in the arm, "And you guys were calling _me _whipped?"

He linked arms with his dark-haired bride-to-be, striding away from the wet couple outside the changing room stall.

* * *

Mary cleared her throat softly, smiling once more, and picked up the picture next to the one of the wedding. It depicted a small boy, wearing all blue, with fiery hair and a devilish grin. Jai noted that this boy showed up in six of the photographs- but was also quite shocked to see that the little toddler looked a lot like the person he saw when he looked in a mirror.

He was sure that he had never posed for any of those pictures- he didn't own a boat made of plastic, a big bear, nor had he ever eaten so much Nutella that it had positively painted his face. This young man in the images, had, however. Jai was very surprised when Mary spoke up, pointing to the photos portraying the red-head in turn, "These are all your Daddy. My Wally." Mary swelled with pride as she glanced at the picture of Wally on prom night, dressed in a size-to-big suit with a stunning Artemis on his arm. The two looked like they were snapping at each other- Artemis pinching Wally's bare skin on his hand, and Wally standing on Artemis foot in retort. Wally's nose wrinkled in mock-anger, and Artemis' eyes were half-lidded, her expression of little interest. Mary couldn't remember for the life of her if this was the Gotham Academy, or Spisak Elementary prom- but she still remembered the preparation before it fondly.

Jai nodded, and jumped from his seat, running up to the display. He pointed, before stopping himself, and asking instead, "Who is the blonde man in the middle? And the black-and-white pictures; who are those people?"

Mary explained in lengthy detail who Barry was. She knew Wally had pictures of his Aunt Iris around the house, but it didn't surprise her that Uncle Barry wasn't a predominant face in the West-Crock household. In equal length, she went on to explain to Jai who the 'grey' people were. Her parents and even a heavily scratched image of her grandmother were the ones she spoke about most. Jai listened intently, never stopping his grandmother as she told tales of her childhood, and recited long biographies about a number of her family members. The way Jai's nana told it; the stories were not boring at all.

When Mary finished; her voice croaky and her cheeks flushed, she pushed herself upwards, letting Jai off her sore lap. "Do you want to see my favourite picture, sweet-pea?"

Jai smirked, nodding quickly. He took his Grandmothers hand, and walked slowly with her up the stairs, and into her room. It smelt dusty, and the bed looked like it hadn't been slept in for a while. It was so neatly folded, not a crease in sight that Jai suspected his Grandmother slept downstairs on the couch...or just had a lot of time on her hands every morning.

Mary hobbled over to her dressing table, and with a shaky hand, lifted a framed image. Jai lit up, laughing, "That's me and Iris and Maggie and Bart and Momma and Daddy!" The picture looked recently taken. Mary nodded and placed the frame down back to the table, between what looked like a few school photos of Iris, and one nursery-taken picture of a beaming Jai.

* * *

Zatanna pointed to the very long menu, biting her lip, "I'm having trouble choosing between the Crispy Duck, or the Seasoned Lamb for the main."

Dick shrugged, "I think they'll both be nice; but we also need to decide on an entrée, and I'm really not sure if I want fish or cold food..."

Artemis flew out from under the table, breathing heavily, "NO cold food for the entrée! What are you thinking? I suggest a choice in the mains too; your menu is missing something fishy, tough you can't omit the meat and VEGETARIAN!"

Wally pushed out of the broom cupboard, eyes wide, "Why don't you guys just take it _all_?" He smirked.

Dick and Zatanna stared at the duo in shock. Dick wasn't quite sure how the two even managed to get into those places without been spotted, and he had no idea why they had even decided to snoop in on the conversation in the first place. Zatanna was also incredibly curious as to why the two thought they could make decisions concerning her wedding food. She was about to ask, in fact, but Artemis piped up, "I'm your wedding planner, Zee. Please don't make these choices without consulting me. It needs to fit the budget..."

Dick snorted, "Budget? We don't need no stinkin' budget!" Wally rolled his eyes, trying to pat away cobwebs from his matted hair. Artemis looked at Zatanna for support, but the sorceress shrugged, and began reading through her choices once more.

* * *

Mary hummed, before running a hand through her grandson's clean, light hair. He smiled at her, and she fawned, "You're missing both your front two teeth!"

Jai giggled, "Yup..."

Mary fumbled with some cards on the table they were sat at, before pulling out a heavily scratched and faded blue one, "When Wally, your daddy, started school, each child got an identity card- they could use it in the school library. Have a look." She eagerly passed him the plastic, and Jai took it, mumbling a thank-you.

The image showed _Jai_. The boy in the picture was five and looked exactly like _Jai_. His hair wisped to the sides like _Jai's_ did in the morning after waking up. His freckles were brighter than his pasty skin; like _Jai_'s. His nose was slightly upturned, his eyes gleaming and his whole demeanour was full of life; like _Jai._ Wally was smiling...and his front two teeth were missing...like _Jai_.

The child chuckled, and passed the card back to his Grandmother. Mary shook her head, placing it into Jai's pocket, "Show it to Wally, okay?" Jai nodded. Mary beamed, "Can you ask your Daddy to send me pictures I can frame more often too?"

Jai giggled, his tummy rumbling, "Of course, Nana!"

Mary sniggered, "Thank Goodness! Now let's go eat..."

Jai sighed, but followed. Even _he _got full, after eating at his Grandmother's house. He looked at the bare walls in her hallways as he followed her, knowing exactly why she wanted something to frame.

* * *

Dick held the two final choices in his hands, and gestured to each as he called out the names, "The one on the left is what they call, Crème-Brule Orange...and the one on the right, is Dusted Sunset." Zatanna crossed her arms, "Part of me thinks that the one on the right will clash with the table cloths...but the left one, though pretty, doesn't really seem to be the right shade..."

A splashing sound came to their attention, and turning, the duo noticed speedster and archer inside the Manors indoor fountain. Artemis was wearing goggles and a snorkel, and Wally, removing himself from the fountain, was clad in a wetsuit and flippers. Wally waddled to the balloons Dick and Zatanna were having trouble choosing, shaking his head, "Honestly, I liked the Burnt Sepia colour- I thought it matched the decorations..." Wally waved his hands around the semi-decorated and pre-booked hall Dick and Zatanna were going to have their reception in.

Zatanna smirked, before nodding, "He has a point." She smiled at Wally, who was panting slightly, "You're good with matching colours and styles, _Mr West_!"

Wally rolled his eyes, about to thank his former team-mate, but Dick refused to allow him, standing up with a locked jaw and clenched fists, "That's because he's _whipped_."

* * *

"Do you know where our son might've gotten to?"

"Huh?" Wally stuffed more food into his mouth, ignoring what he could.

Artemis growled, "Our first male child? Jaiyden-Robert West?"

"Jai?"

Artemis moaned, "JAAAAIII!" She was exasperated. Sometimes she swore the boy she was searching for acted more mature than his father, who was blinking and looking around the room in honest revelation, "Jai's gone?" He asked, dumbfounded. He chewed a mouthful of food before spitting it back onto his plate and throwing himself into frenzy, "JAI'S GONE!?"

He lunged out of his chair, still spitting out morsels of food as he cried out for his child. "It must have been Dick! Dick must have been mad that we butted into the wedding plans!"

Artemis scowled, "I think Richard learnt from last time..."

Wally nodded quickly, panicking and throwing his hands into the air, "Is he in his room?" his voice was quick, and full of worry.

Artemis narrowed her eyes, "And the window isn't open either-only his door."

Wally frowned, "Well he couldn't have just stood up and walked out of the front door." He chuckled, "Have you checked the laundry basket?"

Artemis scratched her head; her brain actually hurt, "What would _my three-year old _be doing in THERE?" She growled slightly.

Wally backed away, sighing, "Well...is the front door open?"

Artemis spoke up, breathing in and out of her nose to try to calm herself, "It's always open; well, except for at night."

Wally scowled, "No wonder Dick always get's in..."

Artemis looked dumbfounded, before shaking off the initial shock and getting back to the matter at hand. Before Wally or the archer could act upon their impulses and scour the world for their son, the doorbell rung, and a woman let herself in.

Wally chuckled, "Mom? How are you?" He tried to straighten up, and rub the look of panic from his eyes, but his mother had already spotted it. She tugged at her hand, pulling Jai from behind herself. Artemis glared at her husband, "I thought you picked the kids up from their Grandmas..."

Magnolia's cries reached Artemis' ears, and she flushed red, "I'll...be back." She rushed off to her daughter, leaving Wally to be confused. "I picked up Barty, Maggie and Jai when I came...right?"

Mary chuckled and nodded, before giving a one-armed hug to her grandchild, "This little one came to visit about thirty minutes after you took him home."

Jai grimaced, "Nan! You said you wouldn't tell..."

Mary shrugged, "I knew they would get worried...plus, you have some things to ask." Mary let herself out of the house, kissing Jai quickly, and leaving. Jai glowed at his father, before laughing, and hugging his legs. He knew even if Wally tried to get mad, he had the trick-card up his sleeve; the reminder of how similar they both are.

Jai snuggled his dad, "Can I go to Gramma's tomorrow too?"

**There. Hope you enjoyed, and thank you everyone again for helping me reach my previous goal of 450 reviews. I don't really have a goal now- this story has done so much better than I thought it ever would.**

**If you are a new reader, or haven't reviewed yet, please let me know how I'm going, what you want to see more of...and what you want to see less of. And to my regular reviewers; thank you so much for helping me get this far. **

**Have a lovely day!**

**-Fish**


	48. Vacation

**Vacation**

**This chapter is set about a week after Jai's fourth birthday: I was going to write something immensely interesting, but then my mojo was cut down by the terrible fate of Young justice and I barely managed to choke this out. **

**Iris is eight, Jai is four and the twins are 10 months. This is set after Valentine's Day, in February. **

**Thank you for the huge number of reviews for the last chapter. Every single one was wonderful, and they made me feel great! Thank you!**

**Please enjoy and remember to leave a review if you get the chance. In fact, please use the review as an opportunity to answer this question:**

**If this story continues into a 'season 3', would you rather I stick to the ages of everyone...or skip forward to make the twins 3 years old. It's up to you, but I personally feel that jumping forwards (though it would leave some gaps) would mean the twins would be in the chapter more. You see, it kind of feels like they are been incredibly under-used, as I cannot write small babies and their interactions in an appealing, interesting or informative way. Please do tell me what you think. (The ages would be brought to Mag and Bart: 3, Jai: 7, Iris: 13.)**

Jai cautiously peeked around the corner, giggling and breathing a sigh of relief when he noted that his hunter was not present. He took a quick stride into the open, but failed to remind himself that Jacob could turn more than a few people invisible. Both Iris and her close friend popped out from nowhere, and lunged at Jai, who squealed with a mix of fear and glee.

He took off at immense speed down the stairs and into the field behind the West family home garden. He bent down as low as he could without scraping his forehead on the slightly moist soil below. He tried to rub his muddy hands off on his pants, but didn't want to move too much at the same time. It was hard enough trying to blend into dry grass wearing red pants; any movement would completely expose him.

He heard his sister whoosh past him; noting only a streak of red hair, and pink which meant that she had manged to throw on a coat before she sped after Jai. It was kind of depressing...but at the same time, it thrilled Jai that she hasn't taken things slow, and thought to look around. After a few minutes, Jai noticed Jacob run into the field too- he was red and out of breath, almost doubling over. Still, as much as Jai wanted to comfort the golden-haired boy, he didn't want to show himself.

Again, he heard the whoosh of his sister, who stopped directly in front of Jacob, hardly taking a breath to cool herself down. She beamed, and he gave an awkward smile back, trying to hide his bitterness. Jacob wasn't one to keep his cool; though he hated arguing too. Instead, he gritted his teeth, "_Follow me, Jake. Run, Jake._" Jacob imitated Iris' voice, folding his arms over his chest, "I'm not a speedster, Iris." Jacob took a deep breath, still trying to get oxygen back into his weary system. "In case you've forgotten; that means I can't run almost a mile in sandals!" Jacob pointed to his feet, his bare toes wiggling around.

Iris frowned, before smiling and surveying the fields, "I can't see Jai anywhere...do you think If I leave, he'll follow?"

Jai popped up from his spot, furious, "I would _so _not follow!" He threw his hands up into the air, before flushing red and ducking back into the wild grass. Jacob let a breathy laugh part his lips, before he took a seat on the floor, wheezing, "I _really _hate running. Next time we stealth all the way."

Iris frowned, "Stealth is good...but only running can catch up to Mr. No-Teeth."

Jai popped up again, though he had since changed positions in the field, now further back, "I _so _do have teeth!" Jai opened his mouth wide, pointing to the eight loose teeth sticking out of his gums. He was rather unlucky when it came to loosing teeth, and his parents hoped he'd grow out of bumping into tables and falling face first into rock-hard cement. He already had a number of adult teeth- three, in fact, and he protected them with his life.

Jacob rolled his eyes, standing up, "How about we work together, instead."

Iris smiled slyly, "I'm listening." She glanced back to her brother, who had once again concealed himself in the shrubbery even further away from the duo. Iris caught onto Jacob's idea before he could finish explaining it. She grabbed his hand, and let the cool, almost gel-to-skin sensation flow over her body as Jacob turned her invisible.

She wondered if Jacob felt it too, when he camouflaged with his surroundings. Perhaps he was so used to it he didn't even register it, much like Iris stomach didn't do flips when she ran at super-speed like it used to.

Iris squeezed her friend's hand reassuringly, before taking off. She knew he was trying to keep up, but he ended up been dragged, almost dangling from her arm. Iris found it hilarious to listen to him shout nonsense as she picked up the pace, but she always worried that his hand would slip out of hers, and he would go flying in God knows what direction. Shuddering slightly, Iris got back to the situation at hand, stopping a few metres away from her brother, who peeked out from his hiding spot, humming nervously when he noted that his sister was again nowhere in sight.

Like a lioness, Iris began to walk around her prey, little antelope Jai, who cowered in his spot. He practically wet himself when Iris stepped on a twig, snapping it as she came closer to him. Jacob would have never made that mistake, but then again, he'd been training himself to be completely out of view for years- he was a master at stealth...perhaps even in the ranks of Iris' Uncle Nightwing. Jai stood up slightly, keeping his back to the grass so that Iris, wherever she was, couldn't spot him through the thinning grassland.

Iris lunged forwards with Jacob, who kept himself from cursing. They landed with precision, directly at the feet of Jai. All the red-haired girl needed to do was tap him and say 'tag', 'gotcha' or 'hot chocolate', and she would win. Her only simple dilemma was what word she was going to choose when she reached out.

Artemis' cries reached the far end of the field, and Jai perked up. He groaned, "Iris can find me later..." before speeding off to the calls of 'DINNER!' Iris moaned, loosening her grip on Jacob's hand. She felt the cool sensation that had enveloped her slowly trickle, like water, off her body and out of the soles of her feet. She could see Jacob- which meant he could see her. The two set off at a slow run to Artemis, Iris paying carefull attention so as to not overtake her friend and upset him once more.

* * *

At the dinner table, Artemis poured creamy gravy over yellow-with-butter mashed potatoes. She added a soup-ladle of peas and sweet corn, and finished her masterpiece with a helping of steaming fish fingers. She planted the plate in front of a ravenous Jai, and got to work with mashing up the peas and mash for her twins, who looked incredibly hungry as they fidgeted in their chairs.

The table practically groaned with the weight of food Artemis plopped onto it next; finger-food in all its glory, and several fresh-baked rolls of bread. Artemis wiped her hands on her apron, sitting down herself, and waiting patiently (unlike her three children, who were already covered in food). Wally ran into the room, taking a seat and panting heavily, "Sorry I'm late..."

Artemis shook her head, smiling, and motioned to the plate of piled-up food before him. The scent of butter, fresh bread and garden fresh produce met his nose, and he began to lap it up without another word. Iris and Jacob finally entered the room last, Iris looking crest-fallen.

Jacob lit up at the food, and took a seat on a chair, like one of the family. Iris slouched and shimmied into the chair by her mother, who finally began eating.

The group ate in the silence, before Wally came up for air after a few minutes, smiling, "Should we tell them, babe?"

Artemis nodded, before looking at Jacob with an air of sympathy. Iris arched her brow, straightening up and looking at her father. Jacob, like the polite boy he was, placed his cutlery down, and listened to Mr. West intently.

Wally addressed, for some odd reason, his twins in their high-chairs, and made a scene of it too, "Abha, abha!" Wally clapped his hands, "We gonna goes to England! Yes we are! Yes we are!" He bopped each of his baby's noses in turn, and Magnolia screamed in happiness. Bart raised an eyebrow, perhaps questioning everything he had come to know. Only Wally addressed his children in such a say; everyone else in the family spoke to them using proper English.

"To Engie we go, go, babies! Holiday!" Wally nodded, his face practically ripping in half as he beamed, "Go we to England! Crumpets! Bangers and Mash!" Wally excitedly blurted out English food while everyone in the family looked at him in horror. Artemis shook her head, "Alright, Yoda. That's enough."

Wally instantly stopped 'explaining' to his babies, and began eating his food once more, an air of hurt surrounding him. Bart whimpered slightly, and Magnolia punched a small red fist into her mashed potatoes. Artemis was unsure if this was a coincidental movement, or if Mag's was annoyed at her father of her.

Artemis sighed, "We're going to go to England for a week. My friend invited us; she lives in a little town called Beverley." Artemis spoke in a calm tone, looking sombre as she spoke to Iris and Jai. Iris clapped her hands, before looking to Jacob, who had a very forced smile on his face. Artemis arched her brow, "Jacob- why are you sad? You're coming too!"

Jacob looked up at Artemis, positively screeching. Iris cocked her head at him, "Have you been on holiday before, Jake?" Jacob refrained from nodding; sneaking onto planes using invisibility was probably frowned upon in a family of heroes.

Iris didn't press the matter, sighing as she moved her vegetables around on her plate, "Have you packed anything yet, Momma?"

Artemis nodded, "The necessities, but it's up to you and Jai what you take in your backpack."

Iris nodded, "Is it like Beverly Hills?"

Artemis shook her head, "The opposite. Its a lot like here, only they have a town centre." Suddenly, the idea of going on holiday didn't seem appealing to Iris. Jai, however, burst out of his chair and sped to his room, probably going to stuff his back-pack with toys and treats for the car-ride to the airport.

* * *

Jacob arrived in the early hours of a bleak Monday morning. He rubbed his eyes, and tried to keep his footing as he strode across the dew-coated front lawn. Behind him trailed a small suitcase, no bigger than a regular calendar. He knocked on the front door, and Wally answered promptly, allowing him in. The family, Jake noted, were already ready to go. He supposed that speedster time meant packing was a fast process. Artemis eyed Jacob; he wore a somewhat moth-eaten white top and jeans, he didn't stand out much like the neon-dressed Iris, or Jai.

"Did you pack all you need? We're going for a _week, _not a day." Artemis pointed to Jacobs tiny case. He shrugged, "Compact packing?" The truth was, Jacob didn't own that much. He had packed a spare top and two pairs of socks, as well as boxers for each day. A tooth-brush lay flat against his sparse clothing; he hoped the person they were staying with had tooth paste and a comb. A small beanie had also been crammed into the suitcase, along with some fingerless gloves. Jacob knew they wouldn't keep him too warm, but they would stop him from getting frostbite- he hoped. A small photograph also lay in his trunk...but Jacob wouldn't let anyone be aware of that. He passed his passport to Wally, who checked it quickly, and then motioned for the children to go outside.

Iris led Jake to the car. She seemed very excited; but not as excited as Jai, who jumped up and down on the spot. He didn't remember the holiday to France the West's had once been on- his first aeroplane ride. He was treating this one as his first. Iris unlocked the mini-van, and Jai flew into his car-seat, grabbing his back-pack and removing a dozen air-sickness bags, "Do you think I packed enough?" He queried Jacob, his green eyes squinting in concentration.

Jacob chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, "You packed more than me..."

Iris took a seat next to Jake, who had decided upon sitting in the middle. The twins would later be strapped into their car seats in the third row. "Whats up with that anyway, Jake? I would have thought you would have brought more clothes...It'll be cold there, apparently it's only just stopped snowing."

Jacob beamed, "I think I have the right amount."

Iris shrugged, "Whatever." She pulled out her iPod, and stuck an ear bud into Jacob's ear. He didn't protest; music helped him sleep, and since it was a couple of hours drive to the nearest airport, he wanted to waste that time to its full potential.

Iris shut her eyes, following Jacob's lead, and thirty minutes later, by the time Wally and Artemis finally set off, the duo were already sleeping, Iris head cocked onto Jacob's shoulder, his mouth wide open with shallow snores.

* * *

The airport was bustling with activity, and Wally clutched onto Jai and Iris' reddening hands with ferocity. Artemis kept her gaze on Jacob, who walked near to the luggage carrier. In a baby carrier on her back laid Magnolia- who fought with all her might to get comfortable. Wally's chest was covered with a carrier holding Bart, who slept soundly, ignorant to the noise and business inside the airport.

Artemis looked at the departures listings, "I honestly didn't expect anything less." She groaned and hauled herself around, striding to the exit. Wally looked up in confusion:

**MANCHESTER 10.32- CANCELLED**

Wally sighed; he hadn't expected much less either. Iris registered the sign, and passed the message onto Jacob after finally getting free of her father's grasp. She pointed to the glowing orange writing on the black notice board, sighing.

Wally, however, didn't follow Artemis. He angrily sped to the information desk. A stick-thin woman, her clothes practically spandex like on her body, looked down her nose at the father of four. "Care to explain why my plane is not gonna fly today?"

The woman, Mrs. Wilhelmina Birmingham, curled one of her brown strands of hair around a pencil-like finger. "Sir, you'll have to be more specific."

Wally growled, "My plane to Manchester is cancelled."

"And?"

"And? Care to explain why?"

"Explain what?"

Wally snarled. In his mind, he had already slammed the womans tight-skinned face into her high desk a billion times. He took a deep breath, and blinked, "Would you care to explain, Ma'am, why my plane to Manchester has been cancelled?"

Wilhelmina coughed, before tapping a few numbers into her computer. The process took a while as she typed with one, single finger. She sighed after five minutes, "Sir- the plane to Manchester will not be flying today."

Iris, who was stood behind her face, slammed her face into the help desk, practically crying out in frustration. Jacob tugged at Wally's sleeve, "Maybe you should ask to talk to someone else?"

Wally shrugged. It couldn't hurt to try. He paced to another help desk. A young man gulped. He was tinged with green and shaking. He looked like he had no confidence within himself, and he stuttered as he wished the customer he had just served a nice day.

Wally strode to the boy, "Hi...erm...Sal Stevens? Can you please lend me a hand?"

Sal gaped at Wally in shock, his acne practically lighting up in alarm, "How do you know my name!? How do all of you people know my name?" Sal clutched his desk, taking shallow breaths. Wally shook his head; it wasn't worth it. He couldn't bring himself to tell Sal that his name-tag clearly stated everything...

* * *

Once the group was out of the airport, Jai cried out in shock, and tugged on his father's hand, "All airports look the same!?" Wally was in a bitter mood, and he decided not to reply.

Artemis placed the twins into their respective seats, and strapped Jai into his, before sitting down herself, crestfallen. Wally jumped into the front, and looked to the back of the car- he counted the heads- the black wispy haired top of Magnolia, the fair-haired, small one of Bart, and the bright orange curls of Jai. The scene was missing golden curls and straight red locks.

Wally poked Artemis in the arm, freaking out already. He could hardly contain his anger when the mischievous missing duo popped up in their spots out of thin air. Iris was grinning from ear to ear, and Jacob looked incredibly guilty. He wanted to shout something along the lines of, "She made me do it!" But he knew he wouldn't be able to hold his case, and he didn't want to seem ungrateful.

Wally refrained from slapping Iris silly, but both received a well-deserved scolding from Artemis the full trip back to the house-hold. "Dangerous!" Artemis spat, "Scared me stiff!", "You should be ashamed!" Her cries were barely audible over Jai, in the background, who continued to shout similarities between 'Manchester' and the outskirts of Palo Alto. Wally couldn't bring himself to tell Jai the truth, nor could he find it within himself to join Artemis in her telling off. He just took it all in a stride, wishing he had packed his ear-plugs.

He wasn't in the mood for a holiday any more.

**There. It's done. I'm in a sour mood; school starts tomorrow. Sorry it was short, though I hadn't originally planned for them to even arrive at their destination. Nope, I don't mean a plane crash...but I can honestly say it wasn't written like this originally. **

**Please leave a review?**

**-Soph**


	49. Wonderment

**Thanks for all the reviews last time! They mean a lot!**

**I'm officially a senior at school now! Yey!**

**And thanks for the feedback concerning the future of this fic. I will take it all into account, and his story will be continuing after I get to the end of this 'season'. **

**Anyways, here's the new chapter. The title was prompted by xXRandomnessXx. **

"I thought you said you weren't going to leave for such a long time again..." Wally groaned, pushing himself up from the couch and eyeing Artemis who stood in the doorway, looking guilty. She shook her head, biting her lip. Her bloodshot eyes gave away that she wasn't looking forward to visiting New York for a few weeks either.

She mumbled something, aggravating Wally, who tried to take a deep breath. He hadn't exactly reacted pleasantly when Artemis had informed him that she had to go for a major project to such a far away city. He hated himself for getting infuriated with her, but he couldn't help it. He was generally hot-headed, and having a promise broken wasn't exactly going to cool his kettle.

Artemis tried again, "Please come with me, Babe? I'll go stir-crazy working alone...in _New York _of all places."

Wally grunted, "Can't you just work from home?" He crossed his arms angrily, and exhaled loudly for added effect. Artemis cheeks gained a slight red pallet, and she snorted, "I already do, Wallace. I can't just turn down an offer from the Wedding Planner's Board of Directors anyway! It'll give me a chance to showcase my work, show everyone my capabilities...and score a few brownie points with those who can get me places!" She sighed, running a hand through her cascading hair.

Wally scowled, before allowing his features to shift into something nicer. He strode to his wife, and quickly pulled her into a hug, pressing his lips to her warm forehead. He inhaled her cinnamon scent, before dropping his arms and letting a lopsided grin light up his face, "I suppose it would give me a chance to check out the new 'Relox' Labs in New York...and since it's the same company as what I work for..." Wally purred slightly, grinning, "Let me go pack..."

Artemis beamed, kissing Wally quickly on his stubble-ridden cheek as he ran from the room. She took out her phone, and instantly called Zatanna.

The sorceress answered promptly, and she spoke with an air of elation- obviously things were going great on her end. "How can I help, hon?" Her voice sung out from the other end of the phone, cheery and bright.

Artemis' deeper, more mature voice answered promptly, "You know when you told me you wanted to repay me for my wedding-planning services?"

Zatanna hummed a yes into the phone, before letting a tinkling laugh out, "How much money would you like, Artemis?"

"Oh no, no!" Artemis rushed her words, panicking, "Nothing like that! I was just-"She slowed down, sighing, "Me and Wally have some business in New York. I was wondering if you and Dick could come over to babysit the children?"

Zatanan squealed, "Don't even think of it as a favour! I love babysitting!"

Artemis smiled in relief, "I'll leave a letter to explain everything, and there are post-it notes around the house for-"

"I KNOW! I KNOW! We've done this a thousand times before! We'll be over in a minute." Zatanna interrupted, sounding irritated. It was true, Artemis didn't even need to explain anything- her best friend was more than content with helping. Zatanna also wasn't joking when she told Artemis how long it would take to get to the house.

Artemis had only just strode into the kitchen to pack some lunch for her and Wally, before a smirking Zatanna, and a pallid looking Dick Grayson, appeared in the room. Artemis screamed, completely un-expecting the arrival. Zatanna laughed and unlinked her arm from Dick's, which instantly fell to his side limply.

She gave Artemis a reassuring hug, before placing a large bag to the floor. Artemis arched her brow, "How did you get here...like that?"

Zatanna rummaged through her bag, not looking up to address Artemis, "New teleportation spell! Snazzy, right?"

Wally guffawed as he paced into the room, "Snazzy?" His gleeful expression changed, and he pointed to the billionaire play-boy, swaying on his spot, "What's wrong with him?"

Zatanna shrugged, "Not everyone reacts well to teleportation. Displacement and motion-sickness play a vital part in the response..." Dick fell to the floor, grunting. Zatanna gave him a concerned look, before standing up awkwardly, "We'll be okay- nothing a Travel Sickness spell can't fix."

Dick spoke, face smothered against the floor. "No 'ore 'ells..." He groaned and drove himself upwards, rubbing his head. Zatanna rolled her eyes and looked at the worried faces of her friends, "Well be fine!"

Against their better judgement, more with ultimate trust in the Witch and the Uncle, Artemis and Wally left for New York.

* * *

Dick moaned, rubbing his eyes in frustration, "Magnolia won't stop kicking me in the face! I don't know how I'm gonna get this nappy on her!" Dick held up a soiled diaper, growling. Zatanna cringed in disgust, before shaking her head and pointing for him to get out of the room, "Go check on Iris and Jai or something..." She waved him away when he tried to talk back.

Artemis and Wally had been gone for a week, and so far, caring for their four children had been smooth-sailing. Zatanna had taken up the task of caring for Magnolia and Bart, as Dick was very much clueless when it came to deciphering their cries and dressing them without getting aggravated. Zatanna also did the cooking, but she forced Dick to do the cleaning. They both shared the job of looking after Iris and Jai, though Dick predominantly cared for them.

Dick may have had little confidence caring for the younger children, but his expertise was obvious when he interacted with the older kids; Iris and Jai. He entertained them perfectly, he treated them like his own and he spoilt them rotten. They loved him, one could easily see it in their bright eyes, which lit up even more when he strode into their rooms after getting pushed away by Zatanna.

* * *

Zatanna was fast asleep, her stifled snores sometimes audible, the dark bags under her eyes bright against her pale skin. Dick shuffled around in the room uncomfortably, before leaving to check on the children. There were three days left before Artemis and Wally came back, and Dick couldn't wait. It wasn't that he was struggling with caring for the children, and it was';t that he wanted to go home- it was just that he felt bad for Zatanna. She put her heart and soul into her tasks, and unfortunately, it affected her physically. This was the first time she had slept in a good few days.

Dick strode into the twins' room. Magnolia was thrashing around in her cot, sometimes giggling and gurgling as she tried to reach for the toys hanging over her. Bart slept soundly in his own cot. Dick rushed to the black-haired child, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. She calmed down a little, looking at Dick with immense interest. Dick handed her a toy, and she began to ignore him, immersed in her own little world.

The raven-haired man chuckled, and ventured on, finding Iris splayed across the floor in her room. She was colouring something in, and chatting to herself. Dick grabbed her, hoisting her up and throwing her into the air. She screamed, laughing, before kicking away and straightening out her pajamas. She began sharing a very interesting monologue about her day;

"Me and Jake when swimming at HQ today. Goop got REAL mad as soon as he solidified enough to rant at us. He told us we couldn't swim; but in all fairness we didn't know he would turn himself into water...and go into water. Stupid, right? I mean- it was hard enough dry him off ourselves, but he spent ages trying to piece himself together at the pool afterwards." Iris shuddered, "I'm so scared that I swallowed some water when I was swimming- what if I throw-up his arm or something one day?"

After Dick had calmed her down, and she had fallen asleep, he paid a visit to Jai's open room.

The boy was throwing around his toy cars, sat in the midst of what looked like a recent battle between his blue and red toy soldiers. Dick sat down facing Jai, and smirked, "Who won, buddy?"

Jai looked at his uncle, grinning toothlessly, and dropped his automobiles to the floor. He pointed to the pile of blue soldiers on a cushion, before mock-racing two of his cars again. Dick picked up the red-haired child with ease, dropping him under his covers. Jai still held onto one of his cars, and he sighed fervently.

"Unca-Dee?" Jai asked, placing his car next to his pillow, "How come your eyes are so pretty?"

Dick chortled, rubbing the back of his neck inelegantly, "Pretty?"

"Yeah..." Jai bore his own emerald eyes into the kind, cerulean ones of his Uncle.

Dick hummed, "My mother had very pretty eyes...and so did my father, for that matter. It's a little thing called genetics..." Dick went on to explain what the 'difficult' word meant, though Wally had been feeding that information to Jai since the day he had learnt to talk.

Jai smiled, "How come you're wearing a tie? It's a nice tie. I like red..." Jai sat up, reaching out to feel the silky fabric that composed Dick's tie. Richard shrugged, "I was working today, Jai. At work we have to look presentable..."

Jai giggled, "You answer questions better than my daddy does sometimes. Sometimes my daddy lies."

Dick gasped in mock-surprise, before shaking his head passionately, "I believe he is telling stories, Jai. Not lies." Dick only said it, because he knew Wally would kill him if he said anything else.

The speedster flashed a smile, and edged closer to Dick, looking feverishly excited, "How do you get your skin to be so smooth too? My daddy has really spiky skin on his face, and my momma's hands are covered in scars..."

Dick flushed, a little uncomfortable at how forthcoming his nephew was, still he decided to reply, "I shave every day- your daddy doesn't. I use moisturizer on my hands too."

"And my mommy doesn't?"

"I don't know, kiddo."

"But if you know that my daddy doesn't shave every day, then why don't you know if my momma uses-" His logic was wholesome and fair, and Dick now knew why Wally lied a fair bit when answering his children, it was easier than having to hear the enquiry over and over, which Jai didn't understand. He queried an identical question for the third time, scowling.

"I think you mom uses hand-cream or something."

Jai nodded, looking dull. His short-lived interest for the question had long since disappeared, "Hey, Unca-Dee?" Dick cocked his head to the side, awaiting Jai's question, which came with speed, "My momma and daddy never tell me- how are babies made? It's just my momma is actually-"

Dick blushed, making a noise of condemnation and shaking his head. He'd nearly had his face shattered by Wally when he told Iris that babies come from flowers- but then again, he couldn't just _not _tell Jai.

"You see, Jai..."

* * *

Wally and Artemis had arrived home in the early hours of that Saturday. Zatanna and Dick asked the couple to pass on their good-byes to the children, afraid to wake them, but as soon as they had teleported out, both Iris and Jai rushed into the room, half-dressed. Iris panted, before grimacing, "We wanted to say bye!"

Jai nodded sadly, before perking up and latching onto his father's neck, "And hi!"

Iris rushed to the kitchen, pondering over what she wanted to feast upon. Artemis dropped her bags, cracked her neck slightly, and then followed her daughter- she was ravenous too.

Jai unlatched from Wally, smiling broadly. Wally ruffled his hair, trying to keep the tired look from enveloping him completely, "Were Uncle Dick and Aunt Zee good?"

Jai nodded, "The best! They followed rules and stuff- but they also took us out for ice cream, and to the carnival and, oh! That's not the best part! They also took us to a picnic..." Jai pondered for a moment, "And Dick is a great splainer!"

"He's a good explainer?" Wally looked smug, "not better than your Daddy, of course."

Jai nodded a bit faster than he should have, but made up for the rush by talking, "He told me how babies are made!"

Wally looked sceptical, and crossed his arms, "Go on- tell me what he said." He furrowed his brow as Jai shuffled his feet on the floor, "Unca-Dee said when two people are very in love they get together and-"

Wally slammed his fist into the wall, having heard enough, "Excuse me. I just have a little pest problem to get rid of, son." Wally sped out of the room, batting everything out of his way.

Artemis grunted when he pelted her in the arm in his rush. She looked at Jai in confusion, who continued with his sentence as if his father was still present, "-They go to a supermarket. If they want a girl they get a watermelon, and if they want a boy, they get an apple. They put the fruit into a cot in a hospital the day they want the baby to be born, and then the fruit turns into a baby."

Artemis rubbed her head, "I don't even want to ask..."

Jai piped up, "Oh! You _should _ask Dick, though! He's a great splainer!"

**Done and done. Hope you guys enjoyed.**

**I'm really tired today. I went to bed around one in the morning last night. Max, my cat, woke me up a four this morning- he was mewing at my window and wanted to come inside. I ignored him for a sleepless half hour, before letting him in and putting him into his room. I got to bed at five-ish. Then, at six thirty, mom woke me up so I could get ready for Saturday Russian School. I had coffee to wake me up...but it's wearing off now, so sorry if the pacing in the story is a little slow. I'm struggling to be creative at the moment! I know that's not really a good excuse, but meh.**

**Please review! Thanks so much for everything. The next chapter is sorta sad...so...erm...yeah. Just warning you. **


	50. X-Tra

**Thanks for all of the support and reviews guys! **

**I'm in a terrible mood at the moment, but don't think I'm taking it out on this lovable family- I've had this chapter planned for a long time, and my mood is just fuelling the writing, not creating it.**

**I recommend you have a SINGLE tissue on hand. You won't need any more, or any less...I hope. I've tried to cut down how depressing this is, even though it is an inevitably sad event. **

**The good news is; I have 2 chapters left of this season, and then we start anew. This means the next chapter is...dun, dun, and dun- the wedding! So- after every storm there is a rainbow, hopefully after this chapter, you'll get something cheery!**

**For the last chapter I forgot to say, but the twins were still 10 months and it was set at the end of February. This chapter is set just after the twins turn 11 months, in March. **

**Enjoy!**

"Momma- why are we going to the doctors?" Jai held, frustrated, onto his mother's hand as she tugged him along while pushing the twins' stroller herself. Artemis pulled her coat hood over her head and shivered slightly in the morning air. Her cheeks matched the colour of her son's hair, and she puffed out air to keep warm, "Mommy just needs to ask the doctor something. That's all." She glanced into the stroller in front of her, sighing in discontent.

Jai arched his eyebrow, "Okay." The two walked for a few minutes, Jai concentrating on putting the same foot down as his mother, while listening to the stroller zip across the pavement. Every so often, he would break the momentum by kicking a stone or jumping into a shallow puddle. A few cars whizzed past, and Jai envied the people within them. They were warm, cosy and getting to their destination far faster. His father had driven to work that morning, however, and his Mother's mini-van was at a garage getting checked out. He couldn't even run to the hospital; his mother wouldn't be able to keep up.

"Momma." Jai sounded after a while, slowing down his marching pace. Artemis hummed, signalling that he had her attention, and he tried again, "Momma. Why is it so cold?"

Artemis chuckled, shivering slightly, "Blame it on morning, spring weather."

Jai furrowed his brow, and shook his finger at the sky scowling, "Bad weather!"

Artemis nodded, smiling in agreement, and picked up the pace once more, Jai stopping only once to sniff a little pink flower in an otherwise completely green bush. He skipped to her side, looking sideways into the stroller. Magnolia, for once, was completely calm. She was sleeping, her eyes tight together and her little red nose resting on her blanket. Barty, on the other hand, was very red and he was whimpering. He was the reason Artemis was hauling the three of them to the Doctor's office- she was incredibly worried. There was another reason too, but Artemis put that into the back of her mind. Her son was her priority at that moment.

Jai 'oohed' after a large number of silent minutes, pointing at a tall, grey brick building. A few people wandered in and out of it; a man in a white coat, a woman wheeling an empty wheel chair, a sobbing woman, a very happy family holding two bundles, and a solitary young man who looked down at his feet as he clutched a piece of paper in his shaking hands. Artemis mumbled a hello to the latter as she strolled into the hospital.

She placed Jai down onto a chair, and asked him to hold the pram, which he did with determination. She kept her eyes on her children as she rushed to the front desk, "Bartholomew West- twelve fifteen."

The receptionist, a stony eyed, mousy woman, glanced at Artemis and sighed. She pushed her pink lips together, humming as she searched through records in her computer. She smiled softly, "And the twelve forty with Dr Blakely for an Artemis?"

Artemis nodded quickly, "For me, yes." She glanced back to Jai, who waved and pointed to the twins, giving her the thumbs up. The receptionist forced a grin, and pointed to a long hallway to her left, "Dr Lines is in room 215, he's ready for Bartholomew now, if you would like that."

Artemis wrinkled her forehead, before nodding once and making her way back to her children. She, once more, took Jai's plump hand in her own, and began to push the stroller down the hallway. "Room Two-Zero-Eight, Room Two-Ten, Room Two-Twelve..." Artemis slurred softly to herself, keeping her gaze on the metal doors she past. She finally came to room 215. The door stated that it held _Dr. Carmelo Lines, Paediatrician_ on the other side.

The mother knocked quickly, and a deep, "Enter please," rumbled from the other area. Artemis entered, dropping Jai's hand, and pacing to the doctor, who rose as soon as she began to make her way towards him. He had dark skin and a large, genuine, smile on his face. His crescent moon eyes were a coffee colour, and he smelt sickly sweet, like boiled lollies. He stood on tip-toe for a moment, eying the children in the room, before smiling back at Artemis, "And how may I help you today, Ms West?"

Artemis glanced at Bart, before un-buckling him from his section of the pram and raising him up for Dr Lines to f. The doctor motioned to a cold, steel table at the back of the room, and Artemis placed Bart onto it. The fair haired child didn't take well to being placed onto a cold surface and began to panic and shriek.

Dr Lines sat the roaring child up and began to look him over, offering kind words and dangling toys to help him calm down. He checked his heart beat, he looked into his panicked grey-green eyes, and he checked his temperature. After a thorough examination of the baby's mouth, he gave Artemis a tight smile, and motioned for her to take the child away.

Bart snuggled against his mother's chest, and the weary eyed woman held onto him as she sat to talk with the expert, "Doctor- is he okay?" Artemis frantically looked into the face of her whining child, biting her lip to the blood. Carmelo offered a warm smile, "It is RSV, Ma'am. Respiratory syncytial looking at the signs, He is also in the early stages of bronchiolitis too."

Artemis looked in shock at Bart, who squeezed his eyes shut and gave a feeble cough, "Is it life threatening?"

Dr Lines sighed, "You came to me at a good time." He fumbled around in his drawers, removing a red box of pills, "Medication to open the airways. He'll be fit and back to his normal state within a week. I'll also send the pharmacy a list of other medication that you can pick up on your way out."

Artemis smiled, her day was getting better. Bart was going to get better. "Thank you." She placed Bart onto her knee, and he clutched onto the table in front of himself, staring at the object with immense interest. "And for my other children? Will they be infected by it?"

The man gave a brief look at Magnolia, who grimaced at him, "There is a chance the young one will get RSV too; it's normally just like a common cold. Just give her a lot of fluids, keep her hydrated and some non-aspirin fever-reducers if you see the signs."

Artemis nodded, smiling, before taking the box of bills and strapping Barty into his seat. She thanked the man again, and then took off to the crèche she knew the hospital had. Bart had to be put into an area where he couldn't infect the other children, by Artemis' request, but Magnolia and Jai were thrown in the midst of the many other kids the day-care held.

The woman took off for her own appointment with a Dr Blakely.

* * *

Wally arrived home, tired and irritable. Still, he kissed his wife promptly on the cheek, and dug into his food. After he was nourished, he found Artemis in front of the TV, though she was simply staring at a blank screen. He plopped down next to her, stretching his arm around the shoulders, "Is everything okay with Mew-Mew?"

Artemis sighed, before smiling slightly, "I'm already seeing an improvement. The doctor gave us some pills to open his airways, and some stuff later for the fever."

Wally smirked, "That's great!" He looked at Bart, who was out-cold in the centre of the room, Magnolia playing by his side, throwing blocks around and crawling at a break-neck speed. "But you're not telling me everything, babe. How was your appointment?"

Artemis groaned, pushing her face into Wally's side and covering her face with tanned hands, "I'm pregnant, Wally."

Wally's mouth dropped open, and he exhaled loudly, his eyebrows knitting together. His hand curled into a fist. Artemis hadn't been expecting anything less. Wally was tired, Artemis was tired, and they already had four children, who of which hadn't even reached their first birthday. Sure, they'd be talking by the time Baby Number 5 popped out, but it didn't give Artemis any more consolation.

Wally gritted his teeth together, rubbing Artemis' back. He forced a smile, "That's great." It came out far sharper than Artemis supposed he had wanted it too, but she said nothing in reply. That was, until, Iris ran out of the room from behind the couch, and Jai hurled himself from out of the kitchen, stopping only to shake his head at his mom and dad.

* * *

_May 14__th__. Twins, 1 year 1 month. Iris, eight and Jai, four._

Artemis sung softly as she rubbed bubbles onto the dishes she was washing. She placed it one carefully into the joining sink, and paused to tut when water hit her very slightly showing stomach; the stomach which held a much unexpected three-month old child. She had found out she was pregnant when she was a month along; she had surprised herself that she didn't notice the signs.

"Iris! Jai! I packed your lunch!" Jai zoomed into the room, Iris a moment behind him. The boy zipped to his lunchbox, smiling cheekily as he noted an absence of an apple, but the addition of an extra chocolate bar. Iris groaned, "Mom, you gave me two bananas, a bag of grapes and a salad- why did Jai get chips and chocolate?"

Artemis looked at her children in surprise, cracking a glass as she turned too quickly. Blood began to run out of the long, jagged cut in her finger and Artemis suddenly felt very light-headed. She looked away from the bright red blood, sticking her finger under the running water and cursing under her breath. She smiled at her children, however, and created a compromise, "Iris- get yourself something 'unhealthy' from the cupboard. Jai, there's a washed cucumber in the fridge."

Iris complied happily, skipped to the cupboard and removed a box of Coco-Pops, trying to cram it into her lunch bag. Jai raised an eyebrow, "Mom, this cucumber is whole."

Artemis had already left the room, entering the room of Magnolia and Bart, who were lolling around in their cots lazily, "Up you get!" Artemis held her nose, "Eeww. Magnolia, did you-"

"I'M HERE!" Dick burst into the room, almost flipping over in excitement. He ran to Artemis, pressing his hands to his stomach, "I can't believe I'm going to have ANOTHER kid! Me!" He brushed some hair out of his face, "Some say I'm too young, but, I just can't seem to get enough." He pressed his ear to Artemis stomach, and she pushed him away, trying to keep a serious face.

Dick sprang up, and ran to Bart's cot, "He's looking a lot peachier, isn't he! Aren't you?" He tickled Bartholomew, who giggled and protested at the same time. Dick made his way to Magnolia, "Mags!" He reached out to hug her, but backed away quickly, turning to Artemis in disgust, "She's done a big one..."

Artemis rolled her eyes, hoisting up her frizzy haired daughter and placing her onto the changing table, ignoring the noise of complaint from her friend, "Don't do that with me in here!" Dick flew out of the room, seeming a bit more hyped up than usual.

Zatanna entered after him, Artemis having already changed Magnolia. She beamed, "We came as soon as we found out!"

Artemis nodded, "Emphasis on the _as soon- _I texted you five minutes ago."

"Congrats, hon!"

Artemis sighed, looking to the floor, "Something doesn't feel right about this whole thing..."

Zatanna arched a long, dark eyebrow, "You said that you only went because your test results were-"

"Positive, Negative, Positive, Negative, Negative." Artemis finished, grimacing. Zatanna nodded with haste, moving to Bart's crib and removing him carefully, rubbing circles on his back, "Maybe that's why it feels different. With the other's it was an instant positive and a ready heart."

"Ready heart?" Artemis raised her eyebrows at Zatanna, placing a new nappy onto her daughter's bare bottom.

Zatanna smiled sadly, "Don't take this the wrong way, hon, but I've only been around you three minutes and I'm already getting depressed. You're so lucky! Me and Dick are about to get married, and I can't WAIT to have a baby! That's the feeling you need too! Just...get excited!" An idea suddenly gleamed in Zatanna's blue eyes, and she motioned for Artemis to take Magnolia.

The two of them hurried down the stairs and passed the twins to Dick, who was prancing around the living room with Iris (who was already late for school).

Dick snuggled the duo, before letting the air of confusion around him play at his features. "I love these two and all- but why?"

Artemis looked suspiciously at Zatanna, "Yeah, Zee, Why?"

Zatanna gave Artemis a sly smile, latching onto her hand, "We're going clothes shopping. Baby product shopping. Furniture shopping!" She counted off the names on her fingers, curling one over for each type.

Artemis looked at Jai and Iris, "Get to school you two!" She snapped. Iris and Jai scampered out of the room like frightened cats, and Artemis looked back at her friend with a questioning look, "Shopping?" She deflated slightly, slouching.

Zatanna rolled her eyes, "Don't think of it as a chore." She smiled, before winking at Dick, "I'm taking your credit card, babe." She grinned, "Llam eh tot su tropelet!" Her words were audible, yet rushed and the two women disappeared from sight.

Dick rubbed his head, putting down the gurgling twins, "My credit card?"

* * *

_June 21__st__. 4 months pregnant (Twins one and two months. Iris eight. Jai, four) Wally and Artemis are 33._

"Babe?" Artemis spoke quietly. Wally shot up in surprise, rubbing his eyes. He still couldn't see anything, however. The room was pitch-black; it was the middle of the night.

"What?" Wally slurred, swaying before landing back onto his pillow to look at his wife. Her dark eyes were squinting, but full of concern. She whimpered slightly, clutching her stomach, "Wally. We need to get to a hospital." She heaved slightly, before looking back at Wally in fright.

Wally crumpled his brow, "It's too early for that, babe. You're having a bad dream- let's go back to sleep." He shut his eyes, but Artemis shook him again. She was sat up, and she looked afraid. She snarled slightly, still clutching onto her stomach, before doubling over in pain, "Just _believe _me, Wally. I think I'm going into labour or something..."

Wally flicked on the side table light, and stifled a gasp. Artemis side of the bed was dotted in dark red blood and Artemis herself was pallid, the whites of her eyes yellowing. Wally scrambled out of bed, frustrated by the way the sheets seemed to tangle around his legs. He felt like he couldn't remove himself fast enough. Artemis squeezed her eyes shut, moaning.

* * *

The nurse was a stout woman. Her hair sat in a black bob, and ended around her ears. Her stylist was obviously into the 'bowl-cut'. She took a seat on Artemis bed, and gave a reassuring squeeze to Artemis' hand. She tried to smile at Wally, but he scowled, and bent towards his wife, running a shaking hand through her hair. The nurse spoke in a whisper, "I'm Teisha Bonney- my friends call me Bonnie though." She was speaking directly to Artemis, who opened her eyes wearily, and tried to smile. 'Bonnie' continued, "Your husband is unaware of the situation, as you are, dear. But the Doctor will come to inform you of it."

The Doctor, a tall, lanky man, with rimmed glasses and protruding teeth strode into the room, a sad smile on his age-worn face. His plastic name tag read 'Dr. F. Leeds'. Wally couldn't make out the small writing under those words, but he honestly didn't care. He slumped against the wall behind him, still keeping a hand on Artemis' shoulder, "I regret to tell you, Mr West-"He looked at Artemis, who was breathing deeply- asleep. The nurse beside her sprung out of her spot, and waddled out of the room. Dr. Leeds continued, "And I will regret to tell your wife later, that she has miscarried. We'll be inducing a labour as soon as your wife-"He was fully addressing Wally now, looking into his eyes, "-is ready."

Wally shook his head, his eyes startling green, but lifeless. He squeezed Artemis' shoulder- he knew she had heard; tears streamed down her face and she quaked with silent sobs. As soon as the doctor left the room, Wally realised that he was too.

* * *

"I just think I should have reacted better when I found out I was expecting."

Wally shut his eyes, his head moving from side to side, "Don't blame yourself. We both weren't ready to find out you were pregnant."

Artemis locked her jaw, looking down at her stomach, "I feel so empty..."

"Me too." Wally pulled his wife into a hug, tying to keep his breathing steady. Artemis had been discharged from the hospital a week after miscarrying. Although Artemis hadn't been elated when finding out she was pregnant, she was now an emotional wreck at the thought that she would never be able to hold or know her child again.

So was Wally.

The two of them tried to explain in simple terms to Jai and Iris that they would not be getting a new sibling that November as they had hoped. Jai understood that he wouldn't be getting a sibling, Iris, however, understood that her sibling hadn't made it.

The little red-haired girl stayed strong for her parents, though for some reason, she felt empty too. Her sister, who, a day after being 'born' and bathed, had been named_ Aven_, hadn't made it. Iris was mad that she hadn't been happy when she found out her mom was expecting; but at least she had tried to make up for it when her mother was getting on in the months after. That didn't her make her bad, right? Jealousy wasn't a crime...was it?

Even though she would never get to braid her sister's hair, give her advice or become her best friend, she learnt a _lesson_. For some reason, losing, Aven made her cherish the siblings she did have even more.

She hoisted herself up from the living room floor, giving a final glance to her mother and father, who were holding each other on the couch, snivelling softly. She padded to Magnolia and Bart's room, heading for Magnolia's crib.

She placed a soft kiss onto her sleeping sister's forehead, "I love you so much..." She whispered, she did the same with her brother, "And I promise I'll never be mad at you guys, and I'll always care for you..."Iris took a seat on the floor, hugging her legs to her chest. She hummed a tune that she didn't know the name of, until she herself fell asleep.

* * *

The funeral gathering for Aven had been a small, short gathering. Wally insisted that 'Aven', little scarlet and gold flowers were planted around her grave. A few words were said, looks exchanged and hefty sobs cried out.

He was also the one who had no idea what to do when he would come home to find Artemis brimming with tears in the bathroom, he was the one who had no idea what to say when Artemis began to rip items of baby clothing that had been bought for Aven, and he was the one who had no idea how things were going to get better.

However, Wally tried to keep strong for everyone, smiling softly at Dick and Zatanna, who were extremely distraught by the news when they met him at the grave of his child. _He _was the one who persisted that there be a funeral, _he_ was the one who made sure that Artemis didn't cry herself to the nights following the event, and _he_ was the one who kept a small, photograph of Aven in his wallet.

**There. Done. Shoot me, now please. I can't believe I killed a baby. **

**It's been brought up as a request a fair few times; I had planned it for a while. I'm sorry. Please don't kill me with your words!**

**There will be a happy chapter up next?**

**Heh.**

**-A very apologetic me**

**p.s Aven IS the name of a flower. They're quite simple things, with large petals and furry looking yellow middles. I suggest you look them up.**


	51. You

**Parenting 51- You**

**(Title prompted by xXRandomnessXx- the story line was originally different, but I hope this will do)**

**This chapter is set in the middle of July. I always pictured Dick and Zatanna getting married in the summer. **_**Twins one and three months. Iris eight. Jai, four.**_

**NTS: Mag and Bart were born in the middle of April. Iris is a December baby. Jai was born in February. I like to think his birthday is on Valentine's Day.**

**Thanks for all of the reviews! I can't believe you guys have passed the 500 review mark! I can't believe this **_**story **_**has! Thanks so very very very much!**

**I hope you enjoy this, far happier, chapter.**

"Hang the curtains! Tie those bows!"

"Artemis! Everyone already knows!" Wally rubbed his face with his hands, glancing at his frantic wife, who sped around the church adding final touches to decorations, hanging in lavish amounts, in every nook and cranny.

"Clean those benches! Get me two more chairs- and an extra plate!"

"Artemis: COOL IT!"

"I can't, Wally! The groom is LATE!"

"Stop talking in rhyme, please. I'm here." Dick strode towards the couple, swaying slightly. The abundant church already housed a few guests, who were already in the pews, dressed in an array of colours. Dick squinted slightly, wishing he and Zatanna had set a dress code or something. "I'm not late either; it's a good thirty minutes before the ceremony starts, and half the people aren't even inside!"

Artemis tutted, "You're right... " Dick sighed in relief, before cursing as Artemis began ushering guests who stood outside the church, indoors. Wally groaned, before curling his lips into a smile, "This reminds me of my wedding day..."

Dick moaned, "Don't jog my memory- you friggin' CRIED when you said your vows! And I had to stand there, twenty minutes, straight-faced, while you stuttered."

Wally leapt towards Dick, scowling and pointing a quaking finger at him, "You said you would never mention that!" He whispered angrily, before looking around, "I was emotional and in love." He nudged Dick's tuxedo covered arm, "We'll see how you go."

Dick raised a coal-black eyebrow, grinning, "Is this a challenge?"

"Well I'm not saying it's NOT a challenge..."

Dick stuck out his hand abruptly, motioning for Wally to shake it, "Two thousand dollars I-"

Wally snatched his hand away, "Dick! I don't have _that _much money."

A few people, pompous, prim and proper friends of Bruce Wayne, turned at the word 'money' humming and mumbling to each other in interest. Wally rolled his eyes, "I bet twenty dollars that you'll...wet yourself when you see Zatanna..."

Dick shrugged, "Like you did when you saw Artemis on your second date? Give me the money now then- I went to the bathroom before I came here, I'll have no problems proving you wrong!"

Wally stuck out his tongue, "Fine!" He crossed his arms, "We didn't even shake on it yet!"

"Shake on it then." Dick stuck out his hand, and Wally hovered around it. Prior to clutching onto it, he gave a tinkling laugh. He grabbed it with gusto, at the same time rushing his words, "I bet twenty you'll pass out or get cold feet!"

Dick filched his hand back, grimacing, "No fair, dude!"

Artemis walked over to the duo, shaking her head, "Wally, Dick- I don't believe you two have matured at all since you met."

Dick sighed, batting his eyelashes, "I'm the one getting married here! I'm pretty damn mature!"

Wally chuckled, snaking an arm around Artemis tense shoulders, "Just because you sneak in a semi-bad word into your sentences and wear 'cool' sunglasses doesn't mean you can surpass how mature _I_ am." He motioned with his head to Iris, Jai, Magnolia and Bart, who sat in the front pew in pretty clothing. "Plus- I have stubble."

Dick retorted, "Noted. But then again, that means you'll probably be having grandkids before I even have my second child!" Wally snarled in reply, lunging at Dick.

Artemis exhaled angrily, and strode over to her children. Magnolia and Bart were in baby carriers, sleeping soundly. Magnolia had managed to rip out her flowery head band, and one of her shoes was missing. Bart however, looked as innocent as the churches carvings of angels, landing on perches and clinging onto the stony walls. His hair was as laid in perfect wisps on his head, his face was relaxed, and no piece of clothing on his body was even creased; he looked the same as he had done when Artemis had prepared him for the day three hours ago.

"Jai, stop sucking on your tie!" Artemis slapped Jai's hand away angrily, and Jai frowned, before blushing, "Hey- momma. When are you giving me the rings?"

Artemis glared at her son, "Don't play jokes, Jai. I'm not in the mood."

Jai laughed loudly and awkwardly, his face matching his crimson hair, "Right, right! I'm a real joker, mommy!"

Iris shuddered, "Don't use that name in front of me..." She wore a long, white dress. It was delicately appliquéd with beads and embroidery. Over her once bare shoulders, she wore a light orange jacket, to match Zatanna's theme. Her hair was mastered into a work of art, with curls and sparkles and small orange flowers (which clashed terribly with her locks).

"Iris, get ready to throw the flowers."

Iris nodded, clutching onto her woven basket filled to the brim with sunset-confetti and ginger to plum coloured flora. She rose up from her seat, following her mother outside to wait for the horse-drawn carriage to arrive with her aunt.

Zatanna didn't arrive late. In fact, she arrived at the perfectly precise time, and instead, waited outside the church for thirty minutes, letting the photographer snap 'before' photos for the album. When Zatanna was done looking at herself in the lens, she pulled her veil over her face, and sighed, "If only my mum and dad were here to see this."

Artemis patted the woman on the arm, "Honey, you've got me, Wally, the team, rooting for you, and watching you. I think it was kind of Conner to volunteer to walk you down the aisle." Zatanna nodded, waving her fingers in front of her eyes to fight back tears. Conner peeked around the door, grinning, "Am I still doing it?"

Zatanna nodded quickly, holding out her arm for him to latch onto. He beamed, "You look really good!"

Artemis nodded in agreement. The bride looked stunning. Her waterfall of black hair fell down her back; lazy curls spun themselves in erratic positions, giving the river of hair waves. It was pinned neatly out of her flawless face, two loose braids wrapping around the sides of her head. Slight makeup accented her cerulean blue eye, her pink lips were just that little bit brighter, and her smile was contagious. She held a bouquet of orange flowers in her gloved hands, and her dress was dotted with appliqué plant life too.

A startlingly long train continued behind the champagne coloured dress, and Mari- Dick's daughter- held it up to keep it from getting stood on. Artemis sighed, "You ready?"

"I sure am."

The archer smirked, before running back into the church, presumably to cue the start of the live ensemble and to take her place as the maid of honour. Zatanna inhaled, attached a smile onto her face, and walked through the giant oak doors of the church.

She noticed Dick immediately. He was wearing a tight, black suit, an orange vest (as promised) underneath it, and a white shirt. He looked like a stereo-typical groom, except he wasn't staring in awe at his bride to be, but rather, his attention was on a small stained glass window at the back of the chapel. Zatanna knew he was incredibly nervous.

The band of strings and a flute played 'Lover of Light' as Zatanna strode along, beaming at every guest who looked her way. Mari barley kept up with her soon-to-be step-mother, her own thick dark hair constantly falling over her face as she bent down to pick up the train of Zatannas dress over and over. Iris walked slowly, almost mechanically, in front of the three, throwing a clutched hand of flowers onto the red church carpet in a rehearsed way. No one had told her how many people she would have to be 'performing' for- and her confidence level wasn't the highest of her attributes.

Dick finally turned to look at his fiancé as she approached ever closer to him, due to Wally elbowing him angrily in the chest. Dick paled, and cleared his throat softly, smiling uncontrollably. Zatanna smirked, though it was difficult to see through her fabric veil.

The music came to end a few moments after Zatanna stepped up beside Richard, who stuttered a small hello, paling again. Zatanna arched her brow, "Water?"

"Ha! N-no. I'll be-" Dick clutched his head, swinging slightly, but Wally clutched onto the back of his suit, keeping him upright. Dick turned to face the crescent moon green eyes of his friend, who chuckled, "You owe me twenty." Dick batted him away in frustration and let the ceremony continue.

Although it was within a church, Dick had opted to put his and Zatannas own twist on the ceremony, which began promptly after the incident. A balding priest, clad in gold and white robes, welcomed family and friends to the occasion, smiling warmly at the soon to be wed couple.

"Does anyone have any reason to object to this joining of this pair?"

"I do!" Wally blurted out, laughing uncontrollably. The Priest raised an eyebrow as Wally shook with laughter. Dick growled slightly, kicking the overly amused man in his shins, "He doesn't- he's just been stupid."

"I see..."

The sorceress chuckled, "Let's continue?" She blushed a bright red, refraining from making eye contact with anyone from that moment on.

The ceremony continued 'smoothly'; the Priest read from the Book of the Gospels, a hymn was sung, and Dick and Zatanna prepared to exchange vows. The Priest held out his hand, "If the ring-bearer could bring up the rings, please."

Jai skidded to a halt in front of the three, panting slightly and held out a small orange cushion. The Priest raised an eyebrow, "Interesting choice..."

Zatanna gasped, and Dick paled once more. Wally bolted to his son, "Jai- where are the rings!?"

Jai chuckled, "Oh Dad! You humour me." He pointed to the pillow, "They're right there."

Wally furrowed his brow, "Those are sour-gummy rings, Jaiden."

Jai looked at the objects lying atop the cushion, "Oh, so they are." He laughed deafeningly and inelegantly, popping them both into his mouth. Zatanna gawked at the boy, and Dick sat down on the floor, clutching his head and breathing heavily. Jai chuckled, digging around in his suit pocket, "I have two more somewhere...or maybe I ate those too." He raised a finger, motioning for everyone to wait, before pulling out a duo of white-gold rings from his pouch. He passed them to the priest, who took them with a shaking hand.. Jai laughed, "No harm done, amiright?" He winked, before skipping back to his seat, leaving Dick to clutch his chest, and Zatanna to fix her head piece.

The rest of the wedding went...oh, who are we kidding? The word smooth didn't exist in the world of hero events. In the middle of the vows, Dick burst into tears, repeating 'I love you' several times like a broken record, before passing out. Wally had to retrieve the page of paper from Dick's pocket, and read the vows to Zatanna himself as the Priest tried to fan Dick awake.

Towards the end of the ceremony, Magnolia and Jai woke up, and began to shriek with high-pitched cries. Zatanna refused to continue the ceremony while Artemis nursed her children in the choirs-changing room.

The rest of the day, however, went far better.

* * *

Everyone had arrived at the destination Manor that Artemis had managed to organise for the married couple. Dick and Zatanna flew in by helicopter, posing for photographs with friends and companions around (and at one drunken point in the night) IN the indoor fountain.

The West's sat at a circular table with Mari and Bruce Wayne, making small talk and carefully cutting their food, imitating the people around them. Though Wally wanted to grab the salmon fillet, the succulent chicken and the delectable turkey with his gloved hands, all at the same time, he refrained from doing so. His family had already embarrassed Dick and Zatanna enough.

Jai got the message too, but, feeling so guilty at his previous act in the church, he sat under the table, laying his head on his father's leather shoes, chewing on the remaining gummy lollies he had salvaged.

Magnolia and Bart had been picked up and taken home by Mary West, by Artemis' request. Artemis wanted Zatanna to have a day absent of tears. It didn't work out, of course.

Dick clanged his fork against his wine glass to get everyone's attention, standing, "I'd like to make a toast. I want to thank everyone who came and supported us today, and through our relationship. Though I want to thank Bruce, for raising me and my friends for keeping me grounded, I also want to thank the West Family. Wally; thank you for forcing me to reach for the stars, Artemis, thanks for organising this cloud-nine day, and Zatanna." Dick gulped, trying to fight back tears, "You're my match made in heaven. And I...I..."

The broken record of 'I love You's' and 'I'm sorry's' once again made an appearance. Artemis sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingers. Iris ignored the situation all together, blushing, she took refuge under the table with Jai. Mari ran to her father, to try to calm him down, and Wally rolled on the floor, laughing his head off.

When Dick had composed himself, and taken his seat, Zatanna stood, confidently smiling, "I would like to thank everyone too!" Dick bit his lip, trying not to cry again, and Zatanna scowled, "Thanks, Artemis, for...everything. I couldn't have dreamed of a nicer...erm..."

Artemis chuckled, raising her champagne glass.

Zatanna nodded, "Yeah. And Wally, thanks for being a great _friend_-" she forced the word out, "To me and Dick."

Wally stopped slapping the floor to whip his head up and smile at Zatanna, "Any time!"

Zatanna rolled her eyes, and continued thanking people who Dick had failed to recognise beforehand.

* * *

"Let me rewind it!" Wally eagerly pushed out of his seat, running to the remote. Dick threw himself at the man, scowling, "No, Kid _Mouth_! You've already seen it happen three times!"

"Nope, Boy_ Blunder_. I watched the DVD eight times before you guys came over." He motioned to Zatanna, fast asleep on the couch. Artemis looked sombre. The hilarity of watching Dick try mosh-pit during the dancing that followed the 'toasts' had long since worn off. As had watching Dick cry during the vows. And watching Dick slip over the water in the bathroom as Wally followed him around with a camera.

The photo-story at the end of the wedding DVD, which compromised of beautiful pictures of the happy couple...and not so beautiful pictures of Wally and Dick drinking and going crazy, companioned with images of their hangovers the next morning, had also lost their humour.

"One more time!" Wally whined, trying to rewind the DVD, "I just want to watch you rap during the Karaoke part!"

Dick smiled smugly, "You _sung _straight after though."

Wally's ears tinted red, and Dick chortled, "I remember fondly- you made my _ears bleed."_

Wally sighed in defeat and handed over the remote. Artemis raised herself from her seat, but Wally pounced at her, watching Dick at the same time, "Babe, no. We still have to watch the second DVD."

Artemis groaned...joined by Dick, who placed his hands on his hips, "Wally- I only ordered one video to be made."

Wally nodded, "I'm aware- but I made one too." He looked at what could only be described as an image inside his own head, smiling slyly, "I call it-" He pointed to the unseen image before himself and continued, "Dick pole dancing and flying off the roof into the Manor Pool."

Dick growled, "That's a stupid title. You're stupid."

Artemis grinned, "Wally- show me the video. Now."

Dick sat down on the floor, placing his head between his hands, "I'm never gonna live this one down."

**There. Sorry it took ages. I actually think the next chapter will be up very soon, but I worry if I put that one up with this one, you guys won't know that this one is up, and you'll only see the other one, know what I mean?**

**I hate been in senior school. Too. Much. Homework. **

**-Fish**


	52. Zoo

**Hi everyone! **

**I'd like to shout out to irenerb: for the 12****th**** of February, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Can we class this little one here as your present? Hhaha. Hope you had an awesome day; thank you for being an awesome friend! **

**Thanks so much for the reviews, faves and alerts so far! This is the last Chapter!**

**But fret not, for I WILL continue this story. It'll be just like last time, really. Due to popular demand, lots of love and support, and my own interest and excitement at writing this fic, it'll be continuing. But please keep reviewing, guys. As much as I love this story, and will write even if I don't get a single remark on a chapter, I do quite enjoy reading your ideas, comments and hunches. If you ever have any questions, I love answering them too!**

**The next chapter will be the start of a new 'season', so to say. The third, in fact. And as stated before, I will be jumping forwards. I said Iris would 'be 13' in a past chapter. My calculations were incorrect when I said that would mean I would make a 3 year jump. But due to the fact that I want Iris to be a teen, I will be instead jumping forwards four years. Don't worry though; all will be explained and filled in. **

**This chapter is set in late August. The twins are a healthy One Year and Four months. Jai is still four, adorable as ever, and Iris is a rapidly growing eight. When I jump forwards four years, I will be (SPOILER ALERT) having the first chapter as Iris' birthday. That means, if she turns NINE 'this' year...in four years she will become 13, what I wanted. So it'll be set on her 13****th**** birthday.**

**Sorry for the long intro, read on for a semi-short, semi-sweet ending to this hectic season.**

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Jai pouted, swinging his legs as he sat tightly strapped in a much-too uncomfortable car-seat. Wally groaned, gripping the steering wheel. He snapped his head back, his eyes a mossy green, and his nostrils flaring, "Of course, Jaiyden. We're OBVIOUSLY at the Zoo. Let me just stop the car here and-"

"I'll be good." Jai blurted out, hanging his head in shame.

Iris giggled, but Artemis scowled at her, "Don't laugh at the misfortune of others, Iris." Iris stuck out her tongue sheepishly, and in turn, Jai chortled, "You got told, sis."

Iris sat up confidently, "So did you."

Jai turned a beet red, before pressing his face to the van window and exhaling, "Papa. Where are we?"

"We're in the car," Wally grunted in response.

Jai groaned, before beginning to whine, "Papa- I'm _thirsty_!"

Wally smirked, "Hello Thirsty, I'm Friday."

Iris moaned, "Dad, you're so weird."

Wally's eyebrows did a little dance before he retained his sombre expression. Back to slouching, flicking through radio stations, and keeping his expressionless eyes on the blurred tarmac.

Iris took a glance behind herself. The twins were laid in their baby carriers, oblivious to the matter at hand. Iris didn't even know if they knew where their father was taking them. She didn't even know if Magnolia or Bart knew what a 'zoo' was. Jai knew, sure, but he would ask so many questions. Iris had already packed some pain-killers for the headache she knew she would have by the end of the day.

* * *

"And now, we're here." Wally found a spot for the car almost instantly. They were fairly early arrivals; Wally and Artemis didn't want to push a double-stroller, while gripping onto two other children, through ant-like crowds. Jai punched the air with his fist. Magnolia's eyes snapped open, "YIPPEEEEE!" She screeched, clapping her hands and bobbing around in her seat. Bart lazily opened one eye at a time, blinking slowly. Same old car, same old people: the world was a boring place to the likes of him.

Iris held her ears, grumbling angrily, before lunging out of the car. "This'll be fun!"

Jai mimicked her, hands on hips with his tongue poked out between his lips. Iris furrowed her eyebrow, pointing at him, "Mom! Jai's been mean!"

"Am not!" Jai shook his head, pleading with his sister silently. Iris rolled her eyes, and skipped to her father, to help him with the picnic basket; one of the prized possessions of the West household. "You can take food anywhere with this woven contraption!" Wally had spoken eagerly when he had first bought it. Jai had oohed in response, placed his banana peel into the hamper, and had oohed again in disbelief.

Wally chuckled as Iris sprang to his side, and passed her a small pink backpack, "Sun cream, hats and-"

"Wally, did you remember to take your wallet?" Artemis pushed the now Magnolia and Bart filled stroller towards her husband and daughter, Jai followed suit behind her, smiling eagerly.

Wally swore under his breath, before chuckling, "Babe- have I told you how much I love you?"

Artemis snarled, "Go home. Get money. Come back." Wally sped off, mumbling profanities to himself. It had been nearly a three-hour drive to get to a respectable zoo- and he'd have to run it. It wasn't _really _a punishment, though. Sometimes Artemis forgot that she was married to the _fastest _man alive. "Should I go with?" Iris asked, bending down to double knot her own laces. Artemis shook her head, laughing, "Let him suffer."

The quintet began to make their way to the front office. A good forty minutes passed before Wally showed his face again. He shrugged at Artemis arched eyebrow, "Forgot the house keys."

Artemis growled, "I'll pay!"

Wally flushed, taking a seat next to his children. Jai chuckled, "Couldn't you have phased through the door?"

Once Artemis was out of earshot, Wally nodded, "I did- then, I realised I had actually left my wallet in the car. When Artemis asked me, I just completely forgot..."

"The first sign of memory-loss is memory-loss." Jai stated plainly, pushing himself off the bench and waddling towards his mother. Wally shut his eyes, grimacing- he didn't even want to ask.

* * *

"Petting zoo first!" Iris pleaded, looking up at her mother with large, tear filled, silver eyes. Jai shook his head angrily, and pointed to the wooden, rot-eaten sign that read: SEA LIFE- WALRUS, SEAL AND DOLPHIN. Wally pouted, "But I wanted to see the lions and tigers!"

"And bears-oh my." Artemis finished, spitting out the words like acid. "Look, I have a map and we have a full day pass. Since the zoo is a circle, we'll go clockwise. That means the reptile house first, followed by the...erm..._funky monkey _home?"

Wally whimpered, "Arty- we already have a snake. Going into a reptile house will just-" he lowered his voice, "-give Iris more ideas."

Jai heaved a sigh, "I hate monkeys..."

Artemis chuckled, "But you're my little monkey!" She ruffled her son's hair playfully, and he lit up, starting to make, what he thought, sounded like chimpanzee noises. Artemis beamed, "And, ooh, Wally look!" She pointed to her map, "After the monkeys, we get to see Meerkat Manor! That's the same title as a TV show!"

"TV you say?" Wally grabbed Jai's hands, pulling him forwards, "Onwards we walk!"

Artemis rolled her eyes, sniggering, "That's the boy's sorted. Let's go Iris." Artemis held out a hand for her grinning daughter, and with the twins in tow, the duo followed the men of the family.

* * *

"Did you know monkeys use voice, facial expressions and body movements to communicate? That one over there-" Iris pointed to a primate bobbing its head up and down and grinning, "Is actually being aggressive to the other monkeys." Iris sighed, pushing closer to the glass pane of the enclosure, "And did you also know, that monkey's actually PEEL their bananas, the opposite way to the way we would, but they also don't eat the skin? _And_ did you also know that most monkeys eat animals, plants and even dirt?"

Wally backed away from his daughter, a puzzled expression playing at his freckled features, "Er...nope. How did-"

"Guys! Let's move onto the meerkats now! Artemis shot towards her family members. Jai heaved a sigh of relief, glad to be getting away from the primates.

* * *

"And here we are! Sea life!"

Jai crossed his arms over his chest, "This took AGES to get too!"

Artemis sighed, "But didn't you think the giraffes and zebras were adorable? And the Kangaroos?"

Jai shrugged, but Iris smirked, "Did you know that giraffes use their tongues to clean their ears? Kangaroos, along with Emu's are two of the only animals that cannot walk backwards, and both are indigenous to Australia? Did you ALSO know that zebras are part of the same family as donkeys and horse- and the ears of a Zebra show it's mood!?"

Wally placed his hands on his hips, "Again. No. And how did you even-"

Jai squealed, interrupting his dad, "Daddy! Look how fat this walrus is!"

Artemis was pulled towards the large glass enclosure by Jai. She shook her finger at him, "Honey, that isn't very nice, to call something fat."

Iris raised an eyebrow, "Actually, Momma, cold environments require Walruses to have fat, so they don't freeze to death."

Artemis pointed Jai over to the penguin exhibit on the other side of the pathway, before looking back at her daughter in surprise, "Are you studying biology at school at the moment?"

Iris shook her head, before skipping over to Jai, babbling more facts to his deaf ears. He was too absorbed with the penguins...and after a few short-lived moments, the dolphins.

* * *

"I'm hungry, Babe. Hows about we stop here for lunch, and then continue."

Artemis frowned, "Well, Wally, considering this is the-" She motioned to a bright yellow sign above her head, "-FAMILY PICNIC STOP AREA, we will."

"Touchy-touchy!" Wally stated, moving away from his wife, and plopping himself down on the lush green grass. He brought a blanket down with him, and waited for his children to sit down on its tattered plaid body. Iris took her seat, digging right into her food. Jai copied her, with a feisty gusto. Artemis handed Bart a cracker to nibble on, and Magnolia helped herself to all she saw fit. To Artemis joy, Bart helped himself to a carrot when his cracker was just crumbs on his bib.

Wally started up a conversation with Iris, "Lions next, yeah?" Iris hummed in reply, grabbing a hot-dog and dipping it in sauce. Wally chuckled, "And tigers."

Iris groaned, "And bears, yes dad." She spat out food as she blurted, which made her blush angrily. Wally raised an eyebrow, "Any facts, then?"

"No- Jacob's kinda got his mouth full." Iris smiled, before gasping and panicking. It looked like she was trying to suck the words back into her mouth, filled with regret. Jacob appeared beside her, scowling.

Jai screamed at the sudden appearance, and Wally jolted out of his spot momentarily, "What are you-? How did you-?" He gave up, passing the golden-haired boy and sandwich and sulking. Artemis rolled her eyes, glancing at the children.

Jacob stood, "I...I know that I can't pay for a ticket, and you're all against stealing- but in my defence, this was Iris idea." Iris slapped his shins, glaring at his presence. Artemis smirked, "It's not stealing if you have a ticket." She motioned to numerous leaflets in her hands. Poking out of the top were five receipts. "Magnolia and Bart get in free, and I knew you were here anyway."

Jacob opened his mouth in shock, mirroring Iris, who stood up to be beside him. Wally arched an eyebrow, "You did?"

Artemis nodded, pushing apple purée into Magnolia's open mouth, "When we were in the car, you could hear your whispers." She motioned to Jake, who blushed violently, and became interested in the small army of ants rushing about in the plant-life beneath him. Artemis didn't press the matter further, but wiped the twins down, and helped herself to a bag of chips, "So, after the big cats, we're gonna go to the petting zoo."

Iris nodded at her mother's idea, smiling at Jacob, who gave her the thumbs up.

* * *

"This goat is adorable!" Iris squealed, hugging the baffled animal close.

Jacob stuck out his hand robotically to brush the chin of the animal, "Did you know, that when goats are overly stressed or frightened, they play dead?"

Wally jumped at Artemis before she could respond. He was shaking his red hair left to right, a panicked expression in his eyes, "Please, no!"

Artemis pushed her husband away, trying to keep her attention on Magnolia and Jai, who were following ducklings around the pen. "Wally- what do you have against goats? I was actually thinking of getting one; for milk, you know."

"You can get COWS for that, Arty." He glared at the goat that his daughter was clinging onto, pointing at it with an outstretched hand, "Its eyes...they...it's like they see into my soul, or something."

Artemis snorted, "Did you eat some of the chicken feed, Wally. You're stranger than usual." Wally stalked away, sulking. Jai ran up to his father with a rabbit, "Daddy- look! This'll cheer you up!" Wally smirked, petting the bewildered creature with two fingers. "You know, Jai. I reckon it's time to teach you meaning of the word _payback._"

* * *

Artemis screamed at the top of her lungs, running into the living room panting and shaking, "WHAT THE HECK, WALLY!?"

Wally looked up from the TV. Jai was sat in his lap, concentrating hard on the moving pictures. Wally nudged his son slightly, smirking, "This, Jai, is payback."

Artemis growled, her eyes mere slits and her stance low to the floor, "Payback for _what_?" She snapped, "I feed you, clothe you, love you, gave you kids- and _you, _YOU get us a-"

"OH MY GOSH! DADDY!" Iris skidded into the room holding a fluffy animal in her outstretched hands. Her cheeks were tear stained, and her grin was the size of mars, "A Rabbit!?" She skipped to her father, kissing him on the cheek, whispering a 'thank you.'

Artemis scowled, "You know I hate rabbits!"

Wally nodded, "And you knew I hated snakes."

Jai hopped off his father's lap, smiling, "All's well that ends well!" He stretched out his hands to take the smoky bunny from his sister. Wally chuckled heartedly, pacing up to a fuming Artemis to pull her into a tight embrace.

**There. The rabbit's name is Bunnymund, just because the Rise of the Guardians was an amazing movie. **

**Hope you enjoyed! The chapter name was originally prompted by xXRandomnessXx with the idea. Thanks for that! Hope I did it just justice!**

**-Soph**


	53. Advice

**Thanks for the reviews guys!**

**As stated before, this has been sped forwards! Don't worry; I'll explain everything as it goes. All you need to know is this is now December, 4 years since the last chapter...That means the twins are 5 years and 7 months old. Jai is now 8 and Iris is 13!**

**NTS: Iris birthday is December 10th. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Some stuff you have to look forward to in this new season: (subtle spoilers...you may skip ahead)**

- **New character.**

- **Love interests galore**

- **Iris is a teen**

- **Bart is dejected**

- **What Dick and Zee got up to **

**I have no idea why I was gone for such an extended period of time. Like, seriously, none at all. **

**Well, except for the fact that I've been busy with school and my mum changed my computers whole language to Russian and I couldn't fix it or write; but here is the chapter, anyway.**

**I'd like to thank everyone for all the reviews and support. I also want to drop to my knees and thank Lala Sharada- my new BETA reader!**

**Hope everyone enjoys!**

Iris's legs hung limply over the edge of her chair, head bowed as she concentrated on her floral print shoes. Her quick breaths gave way that she had recently finished running, an all too common pastime, and was now content with letting the adrenaline rush flow out of her system. Her bright eyes darted up at a loud and authoritative tap on the bedroom door, and she quickly composed herself, sitting up straight as brushed a wavy strand of her hair behind one of her freckled ears.

"Yeah?" she shot up, standing clumsily and beginning to fumble around with the papers on her desk. She needed to look busy, but it was a difficult feat. Her acting skills were atrocious.

A well rounded man, tan with dark features, entered her room. He stifled a sigh at the mess and motioned to her with elaborate movements, "Ms. Iris, Master Dick is awaiting your company."

Iris bit her lip, nodding quickly.

Herbert, the newest Grayson butler, spun on his heel and sauntered out of the room.

She groaned, rubbing her head. She wasn't in the mood to talk with her uncle; they had drifted significantly over the years, and though she and her siblings were staying with him until her parents returned from an overseas trip, she had barely caught a glimpse of Dick the entire two weeks they'd been here.

Deciding to extend her run, in an attempt to escape Dick, she opened the window and pushed herself up on the sill. Iris masterfully pounced off the edge and darted onto the roof the second she knew the coast was clear. Humming slightly, she pattered along the tiles of the manor house, almost reaching the rickety ladder a few meters away from her . . . until a loud cry scared her out of her skin.

"Oi!"

She turned at the voice, moaning when she noticed Dick casually leaning against a window. He smiled smugly when Iris slouched, giving up on her escape and approaching him.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

She shook her head, rolling her eyes at him.

Dicks gaze seemed to soften, and he pulled her into a hug. She pushed further into him, nuzzling her face into his arm.

"We haven't done this in a while . . ." he started, absentmindedly brushing a gloved hand through her locks.

She nodded, pushing away, "That's 'cos you're always so busy."  
He grinned, "Or you're doing your own thing . . ."  
"Or my mum and dad hate you," she giggled.  
He didn't laugh, a stony expression making its way onto his time-worn face. He rubbed a hand over his hair, moaning, "Well, I'll let you go."

Iris smirked, raising an eyebrow, "My mom and dad are coming back tonight," she reminded him.  
Dick nodded, "Which is precisely why you have to be on time. If you're not here by the time they come to pick you up, my throat will be sawed in half."

Iris grimaced in response, but he continued, "Please be on time."

She shook her head, laughing, "Even if I'm not, I'll make sure I see you again for my birthday present!"

He gave her the thumbs up, "Sounds like a pl-"

Iris sped off before he could finish, a fine cloud of dust accumulating in her wake as she receded into the distance.

* * *

"I have no idea where she is, honestly," Dick threw his hands in the air with frustration, his blue eyes gleaming with a touch of fury.

Wally rolled his eyes and laughed outwardly, earning an elbow in the side from his weary wife.

Dick stifled a grunt, and craned his neck to look around for his niece once again.

Wally shrugged, none too worried. "She knows we're here, she'll come back soon."

Artemis eyed Dick with a harsh glare, nearly growling out her words, "And when she gets back, it'll be the last time you see her, Dick! How many times have you misplaced her in the two weeks she was at your house?"

Honesty wasn't the best policy. Would thirty-three times be a significant number in the eyes of her parents? Dick decided to play it safe, and let a small smile curve his lips up.

As he was about to answer her back, he breathed a loud sigh of relief as Iris suddenly whizzed into the room. She pushed her steamed up goggles from her face, smiling ever so slightly when she realised what situation the raven haired man was in. She pulled her parents in for a hug, before admitting that she needed a shower, and quickly hurtled out of the room.

Wally laughed in her wake; his daughter took after him way too much, as Artemis shook her head in exasperation.

He then turned to Dick, "We're having a small get together for her party this year. We have no idea what to get her, though."

Dick couldn't conceal the look of shock that passed over his face. "Is that an invite? I can come? Have you asked what she wants?" He fired the questions at them all at once, not sure which to ask first. It was a yes to the first two, and a no to the last inquire.

Dick shook his head at the duo, before laughing and placing his hands upon his hips, "Can I get her a pony?"

Wally's eyes bulged and Artemis, not in the mood to fight, settled for a swift threat, instead. "She's turning thirteen, the party starts at four this Friday," she informed Dick. Then, giving him a deathly glare, she pointed a finger at his chiseled features, "If you bring a pony, I'll lock you up in the stable with it for the night."

Dick gulped, before brushing a hand up his arm, nodding, "Gotcha."

Now he was out of gift ideas, too.

* * *

"I don't want anymore!" Bart placed the fork down onto his plate with a clang, scowling.

Magnolia looked over at the food left on her brother's plate, smiling eagerly. "I'll finish it!"

Artemis shook her head, "Mew-Mew, you've hardly touched a thing! What don't you like?"

Bart stuck his pointed nose into the air indignantly, "I'm just full."

Wally raised his head for air, talking through a mouth full of food, "I'll finish it."

Artemis frowned at her husband before smiling down at Bart, "I'm full, too," she announced. She stood from her seat, "Are you up for some archery practice in the garden?"

Bart nodded, grinning brightly at his mother. He wiggled down from his seat and then rushed out of the kitchen, heading to his bedroom to retrieve his bow and arrow.

Artemis watched him run off. He was a lanky, gangly boy, with a mop of blonde hair on his head and a pair of dark rimmed glasses on his face. He was only five, but he was quickly becoming her little protégé, his skills with a bow were surprisingly good.

Bart's twin, a chubby little girl with short black pigtails and pale skin instantly pulled the forgotten plate towards her, digging into the leftovers of mash potato and fish fingers.

Wally reached over, trying to grab a golden fish finger for himself.

Artemis rolled her eyes, following her son out of the room.

Jai sighed as his mother left, turning to his father, "Dad, Maggie, up for a run?"

Wally nodded in response, but continued to eat, clearly not ready to leave the dinner table, yet.

Jai huffed in impatience and got out of his chair, headed out of the room and up the stairs.

He arrived at his elder sister's bedroom door, knocking promptly. It opened within seconds, the two red heads eyeing each other with interest. Jai smiled slightly and stepped into her room.

Iris shut the door behind him, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

He followed suit, noting that she was watching him nervously. "Sis, up for a run?" he asked.

Iris giggled, nodding, "Mind if someone tags along?"

Jai looked at her suspiciously, before rearranging his features into something reminiscent of disappointment, "I hoped it would be just me and you . . . but, who did you have in mind?"

Iris looked to her closet, Jacob appearing in front of it, blushing wildly. "Jaiden," he glared at the young boy.

"Jacob," Jai responded just as cold. He frowned and turned to Iris, "If you're busy, Rissy, I'll come back later . . ." his tone was perhaps harsher than he had intended, but before he could correct himself, he turned and sped out of the room. He decided he'd just go for a run on his own.

Iris sighed as she reclined back on her bed.

Jacob crossed the floor and lie down next to her on his back. The duo stayed as such for a couple moments more, contently listening to the ticking off the clock on the wall and the commotion from Iris's family that echoed throughout the house.

Jacob finally spoke up, "Your birthday is coming up. It's the big one three."

Iris laughed, "So it is."

He turned his head to make eye contact with his best friend.

Her eyes became crescent moons as she watched him smile dopily. He shook his head, "I'll need to get you something nice."

She couldn't help the rush of heat that colored her cheeks, "It's fine, Jacob, really. You don't have to get me anything."

"No, it's not. I never get you anything!"

Iris bit her lip, "You give me plenty. I don't need material gifts."

Jacob laughed, "Says the girl who begged her dad on hands and knees for a Robo-Sheep 9000."

She furrowed her brow, "It's more realistic, it's smart, and it doesn't die like the Robo-Sheep 12." Her eyes fell on the metallic toy in the corner of the room. Its face was tensed in a far too realistic way; it gave the impression that it was in a deep sleep.

He chuckled, "Ah, the future. What wonders it doth hold."

She arched an eyebrow, "There you go again, talking like a history book. You never tell me wh-"

"How did we change topic so fast? What do you want for your birthday?" he butted in, beginning to get up off the bed.

Iris bit back the urge to tell Jacob that all she really wanted was to know his life story. But, there was a fat chance of that. She'd known him for four years, now, and had yet to even get a glimpse of his biography.

She shrugged, "I'll think about it."

Jacob nodded, setting himself down on Iris's window sill.

The red haired girl opened her mouth in surprise, her pink lips parting substantially, "Where are you going?"

He sighed, pushing himself onto the roof. "No idea."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"I'll have to interrogate some people, to find out what to get you since you're so obviously NOT going to think about it."

Iris laughed, but by the time she had composed herself, he had vanished.

She frowned sadly, "I don't _need_ anything," she muttered.

* * *

A swift tapping on the window caused Dick to finally edge away from the mountains of paper work on his desk. Figuring it was someone important, either a member of his team or a friend, he pressed a button on his desk. After all, what villain or burglar warns someone before they attacked?

The window to his right flew open and a boy tumbled to the floor, having been pressed up against the glass.

He hissed in pain, but staggered upwards, rubbing the side of his face which had skid across the carpeted floor.

Dick smirked, "Jacob? Nice to see you again!"

He mumbled a response, still trying to get his bearings.

Dick stood from his desk and strode over to him. He ruffled his hair, "What can I do for you, champ?"

Jacob edged away from his hand, cringing, before patting his hair down. "I need some advice."

"No problem." He motioned for the child to sit down on a divan in the far corner of the study. A high bookcase, dark wood, towered over it. Books were crammed into tight spaces among shelves on the walls; a small cuckoo clock perched on a higher ledge.

Jacob crossed his legs as he got comfortable, finishing his quick scan of the room.

Dick smiled warmly at him as he took a seat across from him. "Okay, what type of advice?"

"It's about Iris an-"

He chuckled, "I _knew_ you two liked each other! When did you guys get together?" Dick couldn't help but tease the kid; he'd watched those two dance around each other for years, now. They reminded him of Wally and Artemis, when she'd first joined The Team and they were constantly flirting with each other, mostly without realizing it. Like father, like daughter.

Jacob's face was red as a tomato, "WE'RE NOT TOGETHER!" he shot back.

Dick was dejected, "Why would you get my hopes up?"

Jacob's patience was wearing thin. He took a deep breath, before approaching his team leader with a better choice of words, "I want to get Iris something nice for her birthday- but, I don't know what to get her."

Dick nodded in understanding, "Same here. And her mom and dad are having the same problem. I think only her grandfather knows what she wants; and he's probably not even going to be able to get out of the nursing home to come see her."

Jacob let out a long sigh. "So, you don't have any ideas?"

Dick scoffed, looking at Jacob in surprise, "Buddy, I _always _have ideas. What does she like? I mean- you spend a lot of time with her, you're bound to get an idea of what she enjoys?"

He thought hard for a moment, a random memory coming to mind . . .

_"Up for a run, Jake?" Iris burst into his room, without warning, throwing his bedroom door open._

_He jumped up from his desk, surprised, but composed himself enough to respond with, "You know I can't run . . ."_

_She smirked, "I suppose so. I need new sneakers, anyway. Actually, I just need new STUFF." She emptied the contents of her quiver onto his floor. With the addition of some candy wrappers, only two arrows, one battered and the other rusty, fell out. _

_Iris bit her lip, "I don't want to ask my Mom for new ones, but I need some." She shuffled her feet, and Jacob noted her tattered sneakers, reminiscent of what he wore every day. He noticed a small crack in the lens of her goggles and a tear on the arm of her spandex suit._

_"How about I get you some new stuff, then?" Jacob asked, sitting back down, and spinning once on his swivel chair. _

_Iris quickly shook her head, bending down and quickly placing her items back into the quiver. "Its fine, Jake. I'll just ask my Dad later."_

That had been months ago, and Jacob couldn't really remember if Iris had gotten anything new since then. He looked up and smiled at Dick, "I think I know what she wants."

He returned it with a grin of his own, "Great! So do I! I just remembered what she was telling me about a few weeks ago."

Jacob looked gleeful as he let himself back out the window, climbing onto the roof, "Tell Wally and Artemis?"

Dick nodded.

As the boy disappeared, he began to feel doubtful, however. Were they thinking about the same thing? He didn't want to get Iris the same thing as Jacob was getting her.

But, then again, he had no idea what Jacob was even thinking. "I'll just get her some trick arrows, I guess. I'll tell Artemis and Wally to get her a new suit?" he mumbled to himself.

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity," Zatanna strode into the room, a wide smile playing on her face. She held their daughter in her arms, rocking her gently.

Dick beamed, forgetting his previous thoughts as he pulled his wife in for a hug.

* * *

"We're here! On time. Friday. Four PM." Dick rushed into the house before Artemis could slam the door in his face. He dragged Zatanna, a stroller and Mari in with him. A small boy, no older than four years old hobbled into the room after tearing himself away from a moth that fluttered above the doorway. He let loose a cheeky grin as he hid behind his mother.

Artemis cooed at the child within the pram, her heart melting. She brushed her own abdomen absentmindedly as she entertained the baby, who giggled and drooled.

Dick approached Iris, who watched the scene from afar, smiling. He wiped a stray tear from his eye as he forced the child, no- the teenager, into a hug. "You've grown up so fast! It feels like only yesterday Wally and I were at the hospital- your mom was breaking his fingers, and he was breaking mine." He smiled fondly at the memory forming in his mind, but was hit violently upside the head by Wally, who'd come to welcome his friends to the party. Dick rubbed his head, grumbling, while handing Iris her large, carefully wrapped gift.

She smiled, placing it onto a table, which was decorated with presents of many colors, shapes and sizes.

"We're just waiting for Jacob, now," Wally stated, looking at the time.

Iris frowned, "He's already here, but he disappeared a few minutes ago."

Artemis shrugged, "He'll come over as soon as he hears all the commotion." She handed Iris a small box, winking. "Can you open this one last?"

Iris's eyes twinkled, and she nodded slowly, sliding the case into her jacket pocket.

As predicted, as soon as Mary West started cooing at the baby, and Wally began singing with Dick, Jacob appeared in the kitchen. He smiled at Iris, who gave him a quick wave in greeting from her seat on the couch.

Mary sauntered over to her grandchildren, placing two gifts into Iris's lap- and discreetly passing Jai a present, too. "The big one is from me, and the smaller box is from your grandpa."

Iris nodded, her hands shaking slightly as she quickly unwrapped both gifts. Among the bits of wrapping paper, now scattered all over her lap and the couch, she discovered a family album. Flipping through it, she saw it was filled to the brim with grayscale and sepia images, pictures of her grandparent's family. And there was also a charm bracelet, every one of its links holding a dangling arrow, or piece of silver food to represent Iris's favorite things. She immediately donned the bracelet and admired the way it looked on her wrist. She rushed over to Mary and gave her a quick hug, thanking her wholeheartedly for both gifts.

Paula was next in line to give Iris a gift. In her usual manner, she semi-scolded the child, before giving her an envelope filled with ten dollar notes. Iris wasn't sure how many were there, but she was aware that her grandmother had put some thought into her gift. She probably felt guilty about last year, when she gave Iris some mismatched socks. She smiled up at Paula in gratitude.

Jai, Magnolia and Bart gave Iris a mug of lollies. It wasn't much, and half of the candy was gone, or chewed on, but it was a gift nevertheless. She warmly thanked each of her siblings in turn.

Wally gave Iris some new goggles, spray painted an electric yellow, with tinted red lenses. He smirked, "Thank Jacob for these, I had no idea what to get you." He chuckled, glancing at Jacob, who was hiding his face in a far corner of the room. Iris pressed the goggles to her chest, smiling brightly.

Dick and Zatanna came next. They usually gave her one too many lavish gifts, so it was no surprise when she received a touch screen holographic camera, twelve gleaming trick arrows, and three boxes of ordinary metal arrows from the duo. In addition, Mari gave Iris a pretty dress, paired with a fake smile. Dick winked at Iris, motioning to Jacob, who had organised their gifts, as well He had returned to Dick's house with a few order numbers for arrows a day or so after his original visit.

Jacob nervously clicked his teeth together, before smirking at Iris. He shook his head, to explain that he didn't have anything for her.

She shrugged in response, motioning for him to come and sit beside her on the couch.

Soon enough, Iris and Jacob managed to slip away from the party and out the back door.

The sun was just beginning to set as they strolled along through Iris's backyard, which were a couple acres of land.

"Sorry again, Iris. I honestly wanted to get you something nice."

Iris walked alongside her friend, careful to keep her pace the same as his. She shook her head, smiling.

Jacob peered at her face, before stopping her. "How about, as a gift, you get to ask me three questions? I never tell you anything . . . and you're pretty-"

"Nosy?" Iris offered, laughing.

Jacob beamed, "I was going to say curious."

Iris shook her head, "I feel like I'm forcing you to tell me stuff. You'll tell me when you're ready. I respect your privacy."

Jacob seemed to drastically improve. His slouch vanished, and his nervous demeanor melted into a far happier one.

The walkie-talkie in his pocket blared before either of the two could say anything more. It detailed a small bank robbery occurring in Central City. Jacob smiled slyly, "Up for a birthday fight?"

"It sounds like an awesome gift." Iris nodded, grabbing Jacobs's hand.

* * *

The two returned, sweaty and covered in bruises after an hour. Iris played the "It's my birthday" card to get out of being told off.

She wasn't the least bit surprised that she had three cakes for her birthday. It had always been a somewhat normal ritual; one made by her mother, especially for her, one for the guests and one for the other hungry West's.

"Want to share my strawberries and cream one?" Iris offered, asking Jacob in particular.

Jacob shook his head, "I'm allergic to strawberries. But I'll have the butter cream one." He bounced off to the guest table, leaving Iris with a smile on her face: he'd _finally_ told her something. Even though it was somewhat a given, as Iris doubted Jacob wanted to have an anaphylactic attack.

Artemis approached her daughter, when everyone was nearing the end of their meal. She smiled gently, "Open the box," she whispered.

Iris abandoned the last of her cake and carefully dug the circular box out of her pocket.

Before she could open it, Artemis explained, "When the team was attacked one day, before they even knew I existed, I shot an arrow at Amazo. I pretty much saved your father's life. Wally kept that arrow; he thought Roy Harper, Red Arrow, had shot it." She sighed, "Dad kept it as a souvenir."

Iris raised an eyebrow, wondering why her mother was telling her this, "I thought all of Dad's souvenirs were destroyed?"

"They were," Artemis couldn't help the slight frown that slipped onto her face. "Just open the box."

Iris did as instructed, puzzled by what she saw.

Artemis fingered the item inside the box, "It's the arrowhead," she stated softly.

Iris eyed it curiously. It was darkened, probably from the heat it had been exposed to. Its point had been rubbed down substantially, making it blunt. A small hole was poked through the end of it, and Artemis revealed, as she lifted it out of the box that a string had been pushed through it. The arrow head was now a pendant.

She placed the necklace over her daughters head. She gave her a genuine smile, "Wally found this after the explosion, when he went snooping around. He cleaned it up, and gave it to me one Christmas. I think you should have it, now. A good luck charm is always a necessity- and if it helped your father, then let's hope it helps you, too." Artemis placed a kiss atop her daughter's forehead, before patting Iris's freckled hands and getting up from her seat.

Iris examined the item around her neck, her features a wonderful mix between puzzled and elated.

**There you go. I can't know for the life of me if any of you remember that Christmas chapter way back when. Wally gave Artemis a box...and now, Artemis just gave Iris the very same gift.**

**Hope you enjoyed. Lots more to come. The next chapter is called Brothers. :3**


	54. Brothers

**New Chapter guys!**

**A huge thank you to my BETA reader, Lala Sharada. :3**

**I actually sat down and planned every single season 3 chapter yesterday. Their drafts are all done! Hi-fives all around!**

**Anyway, thank you for all the reviews last chapter.**

**I hope you enjoy this shorter, more bonding centric peice!**

* * *

"Bart?" Jai called, running into his bedroom. Looking around, he noticed Bart was tucked into the last shelf on the oak bookcase. The books were cleared out, moved to a higher shelf, leaving a perfect confined space just big enough for the five-year-old little boy.

"What are you doing?" Jai chuckled, strolling over to him and grabbing his hand, pulling him out and up to a standing position. "It's almost Christmas, Bart. We need to go wrap presents. Come help me?"

Bart nodded, gave him a bright smile, then forced himself out of his brother's grasp and walked out of the room.

Jai slouched, looking dejected as he watched him leave. He was so different from him.

Jai, Iris and Maggie were all speedsters, but Bart wasn't, that had been established many years before, but Jai sometimes wondered if that was why his bond with his brother was not as tight as it was with his sisters. Jai knew that Bart got jealous. At least, he assumed so. How would it be possible to not get jealous when speeding siblings ran circles around you all the time- and all you could do is observe?

Jai often watched Bart out of the corner of his eye when he played with their sisters during their usual game of tag in the backyard. He would see the little boy sigh, plop himself down on the back steps, and stare into space, or sometimes read a thin book. He'd never asked Bart about the little book he read or about the overwhelming feelings of jealously he must've felt, but he knew Iris had.

The freckled, red haired girl tried to be a good role model for her siblings, and would always try to spend at least half an hour a day with each of them. With Magnolia, this bonding time came in the form of playing with dolls, singing, or practicing their violins. Jai and Iris would often go running together. And as for Iris and Bart; no one but Jai knew what they got up to.

Jai knew they sat in her bedroom and shared hushed conversations. He had confronted his sister about it one day, but she just smiled sadly and stated that Bart needed a comforting shoulder to cry on. Jai only really deciphered what that meant far later on. Iris was like Bart's subliminal psychologist. She must've known that Bart would crack under envy any other way.

The older boy followed Bart out of the room, and the two of them sat down on the living room floor. Dasher plopped herself down between the boys, and the duo used her as a table. She lay so still, it would look to anyone that she was an inanimate object and the boys were simply decorating it with wrapping paper.

Jai noticed as Bart fumbled with the sticky tape, that his brother was very slow. He wasn't stupid; in fact, Jai thought that he was on the same intellectual level as him; at least Bart had gotten their father's smarts. He just noticed that Bart _did_ things slower; he always thought before he acted. In fact, this applied to all his daily rituals.

He walked, instead of ran, stood in one spot for over a minute, brushed his teeth for a full two minutes and completely chewed all of his food. Jai, Iris and Magnolia always sped to their destinations, neither could sit still long enough for anything and they often shoveled down their food, practically swallowing it whole. Jai sighed, wondering if Bart got annoyed by how fast everything went on around him. He even began to think that maybe Bart felt alone. Jai knew he would feel isolated if he was the one who wasn't a speedster and was constantly being left behind in the dust.

"Hey, can you pass me the red paper?" Jai stretched out his hand, ready to take the card from him. As he looked up at Bart, he took time to look him over.

He had thin strands of yellow hair which fell just above his sandy eyebrows. His dark-rimmed glasses seemed too large for his thin face. His cheeks were slightly hollowed out, and his features were chiseled; his chin looked to be the only round part of his face. A few lone freckles dotted his cheeks, but they were invisible compared to the freckles of his red haired siblings. Jai managed to take all of this in within milliseconds, clamping down on the paper after he had finished his quick look over.

"Barty, do you ever get upset?" Jai blurted out.

He snorted, clipping the end of a ribbon he was holding, "Of course I get upset. We all do."

Jai rolled his eyes impatiently, "I mean about _us_? About all three of your siblings being super fast?"

Bart giggled, quickly pushing a hand over his own mouth to muffle the sound. He squeezed his eyes shut in happiness, and had a wide smile on his face by the time he had finished, "Upset? About being different? No."

"No?" he questioned, placing the items he was holding down on the floor and getting to his knees. He crawled closer to Bart, leaning on Dasher to listen.

Bart smirked, "I like being different. I'm good in my own ways."

"I never said you weren't though, Barty. I was just wondering."

He nodded in understanding, "Anyway; it all evens out. You guys are fast, but you guys don't have a good aim."

Jai scowled, "I can shoot an arrow! And Maggie is still learning."

The blonde nodded, beginning to cut out shapes again.

Jai's expression softened, "I guess you're right though, little brother. You're the best archer of us all."

Bart didn't look up from his work, but said, "It's because I spend a lot of time with mum. That's another good thing about not being a speedster."

Jai raised an eyebrow, and Bart continued, "While you guys; I mean you, Iris and Maggie, are off running or stretching, me and Mum stay at home. We bake something, and then we practice shooting."

Jai beamed, "So by the time we get home?"

Bart shrugged, "By the time you guys get home, I've had a two hour practice and am eating hot cookies."

Jai chuckled, and Bart joined in, and then became silent again, both concentrating on wrapping presents.

Jai wondered about the two people who Bart had been named after; both had been speedsters, and he hadn't known either of them, but he'd heard stories. He knew that Barry Allen had been the Fastest Man Alive, blonde and a real charmer. He knew Bart Allen was hyperactive, concerned and a true hero. It must've have been tough, at least at first, finding out that your namesakes were two of the fastest people to have lived. But since he had listened to his brother's perspective, he guessed Bart really didn't care. He must've just seen them as ordinary human beings.

Jai smiled. He supposed his brother was those former things too, even if just in concentrated amounts. Bart always put others before himself, he could get anyone to like him, and he was blonde. He laughed outwardly, and his brother gave him a concerned look. "_That ticks four boxes now . . ." _Jai thought to himself.

Bart stood up, patting his palms dry on his jeans, "I'm going to find Momma. She might be _free_."

Jai smirked, nodding. He looked to the small cut down angels Bart had busied himself with. They looked pretty good. He bit his lip; in fact, he doubted he could have cut them out that well. It seemed Bart had an eye for detail that Jai was lacking.

He cocked his head to the side, thinking for a moment. He began to wonder if Bart was so worse off after all. The little kid had mum all to himself half the time and could get out of not eating food due to "not being hungry" (something of which Jai doubted anyone else in the family knew of.) Bart was also a quick thinker, if not quick footed. He was an interesting, growing child.

Jai sat back, relaxing slightly. Iris was right; talking to their brother was not a chore in the slightest. He mentally wrote a note to himself, reminding himself that he needed to stop jumping to conclusions . . . and possibly spend some more time with Mew-Mew.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please leave a comment or review, if you can!**

**The next chapter features the whole family! It's a little bit of fun, though albeit inaccurate, as I myself have never taken part in the past time.**

**-Fish**


	55. Camping

**I'm bringing quite a few new story arcs into this soon, so this is the last chapter in which things are relatively normal!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Please leave a small review if you can!**

* * *

"C'mon, guys! Ready for the time of your life?" Wally opened the door and jumped out of the truck, boots stepping into the mulch below. He forced a smile, hiding his inner grimace, and spread out his arms wide, slowly sinking deeper into the moist ground.

The rest of his family clambered out of the vehicle, yawning and rubbing their heavy eyes.

"I thought you said we were going camping?" Iris questioned, scowling.

"We can still have a fun time in the woods! Don't let the bugs deter you!"

Iris swatted a fly away from her face angrily, but then Artemis piped up, "It's not the bugs, Wally. It's the lack of civilization, the absence of a toilet and the fact that we've never been camping before."

Wally grunted in response, folding his arms over his chest smugly. He raised his eyebrows, "Babe, the woods are _full_ of life and people! In fact, Harry and his family are around here somewhere . . ."

"Really?" Jai asked. "Why?"

Wally shrugged, trying to get off the topic of his obvious lie, "Artemis, there's a billion places to pee here, too! Just look around!"

She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself angrily.

"Daddy, why are we camping in February, anyway?" Magnolia asked.

Wally laughed, shaking his head as if the answer was clear as daylight, which the woods were lacking. "Mags, this is family bonding!"

"Can't we bond in front of the TV?" She questioned, pulling her hat further down on her head.

Iris nodded in agreement, "Drinking hot chocolate . . ." She sighed dreamily.

Jai licked his lips, "With our feet nice and warm and the fire crackling in the hearth!" He closed his eyes, beaming, before hugging himself.

Wally looked downcast, "Are all of you really so opposed to this?"

Bart peeked out from behind his mother with a large smile on his face, "I'm fine with it!"

Wally cheered, "Share some of your positivity with everyone, son! I'm sure you can see all the fun things we'll do!"

Bart arched an eyebrow, puckering his lips as if he had bitten into a lemon. He shook his head, his messy hair swamping over his eyes, "I'll be reading the whole time. I've found a rather interesting book called-"

Wally groaned, throwing his hands up in defeat, "I know there's a saying. . ."

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?" Iris asked cheerily, preparing to hop back into the van.

Wally looked puzzled as he disagreed, "Nope. It goes more like; A family does everything together, all while smiling, and if they don't, unfortunately they'll see that Daddy likes to lose car keys, and will keep them hidden and run off if things are hectic and unorganized."

Jai furrowed his brow, mumbling to himself, "I've never heard that sa-"

Iris thumped him in the chest with her elbow, snarling. She gave her dad a sharp frown, clearly unhappy, but grabbed some camping equipment from the back of the truck and started walking over to the campsite.

Jai sighed in resignation and following his sister's lead, picked up the picnic hamper and headed off in the same direction.

Wally, like a mule, grabbed all that he could carry and sped off after his kids.

Artemis shook her head and took the remaining items, giving Magnolia and Bart their sleeping bags to hold on to.

* * *

The family arrived, clothes sticking to sweat covered bodies, almost twenty minutes later in a clearing. The dense trees and sharp branches had proved difficult to work through. Only sheer perseverance and fear of having their dignity taken away from them had forced them to move onwards.

Wally grumbled, throwing the load off his back and rubbed his hands furiously on his trouser pockets. He tried to blow away some fine strands of hair that were irritating his red face.

Iris smirked, her hands resting on her hips, "This is _so fun, _isn't it, Dad?"

He strained a smile, nodding. "Iris, it only gets better from here! We're gonna go hiking, and have s'mores! And then we'll set up our tents and watch the stars."

Magnolia scrunched up her nose, "Daddy, my feet hurt! I'm tired of walking!"

Artemis groaned, rubbing her legs, "Same here, and I don't know how to set up a tent." She pulled her phone out of her pocket, grumbling slightly, "And there's no reception here!" Agitated, she thrust her phone back into her pocket and skulked to a patch of grass under a towering tree.

Wally glanced at his wife with worry, before tapping his fingers against his arm, and turning his attention back to his children.

Magnolia itched her face, before moaning and sitting down on the ground, "I'm too hot, Daddy." She tried to cool herself off by waving her hands frantically in front of her face.

Artemis shook her head, whistling to get the attention of her daughter. She then motioned for the child to take off one of her three coats and her red beanie. Magnolia reluctantly obliged, struggling with her zipper.

Jai piped up, "Is this mushroom poisonous, Daddy?" He crouched beside some bushes, holding some fungi tentatively with his gloved fingers.

Wally raised an eyebrow, "Probably, Jai."

Iris grunted, "See! The only edible stuff we have with us is chocolate, marshmallow and biscuits!"

"I beg to differ," Wally stated, clutching onto a black sling bag, "We also have tinned spam and baked beans."

Bart gagged, trying to push his face further into his book. His eyes squinted slightly; the bad light was making it difficult to read.

Wally groaned, "Breathe in the smell of nature guys- nice and deep. You're all going to have to suck it up and get used to it."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, "Who died and made you king?"

Wally snarled, "I'm going to get some firewood- in case you've forgotten, _babe, _I know how to start fires. And put up tents."

* * *

When Wally stalked back into the clearing, it was nearing total darkness, as the sky changed colors with the approaching dusk. He allowed his quick pace to slow down as his eyes fixed on the swinging trees, illuminated by the day's last rays of natural light.

He seemed to be the only one appreciating the beauty, however. As he trekked nearer to the campsite, he noticed his family. Bart was reading, holding a flashlight in one hand, using his other one to clumsily flick through the pages of his novel.

Iris was playing some game on the holographic screen she had brought along, Magnolia doing the same as they sat next to each other.

Artemis was spread out on her sleeping bag, immersed in her music, the bass audible through the headphones. Her eyes were shut tight as she snapped her fingers to the beat.

Jai was the worst of them all; all his senses of the outside world were blocked by his virtual-1672 helmet, designed for violent games, which involved a lot of cheering and frighteningly real graphics.

Wally growled, speeding to the group. He lashed out at his daughters first, gripping their tablets and throwing them into the shrubbery to his left. Jai's helmet was angrily pulled off and Artemis headphones were cut in half.

Bart, noticing his father's rampage, quickly flicked off his light and cowered.

"You guys are so technologically advanced and obsessed; you've forgotten why we're here!"

Iris shook her head, glancing over at the bushes, wanting to rush over and grab her tablet. "Dad, if this is about the whole camping trip, it was boring waiting for you. And the only reason we're here is because you forced us!"

Wally groaned, rubbing his face, "You don't get it, do you? The reason I brought you all here was so we could all bond as a family!"

Jai quirked an eyebrow upwards, glancing around at his family. In his humble opinion, he knew them all well enough, and he saw no need for isolation in the woods from the rest of society just for bonding time. Still, he refrained from sliding his phone out of his pocket; too afraid to even check the time.

"All of you may be infatuated with technology, you may crave it, and you may be fully acquainted with its uses, but you have no idea what an obsession with your loved ones is. You don't know how to talk to each other properly; your communication with one another is slowly being plucked down to texts and grunts!" Wally sucked in a deep breath, digging his hands deep into his pant pockets, "Call me old school, but I believe that a family comes down to more than asking for the time and playing games together."

Magnolia gripped a stubby pigtail with her hand, grimacing. She supposed her father was right; heck, she didn't even know what Iris's favorite color was. Her bottom lip quivered as she looked at her siblings.

Wally took a deep breath, calming himself, "All I wanted, for these two days, was to see you guys interact with one another. Training with each other isn't enough."

Artemis rose from her sleeping bag, smiling and pulled Wally into a tight hug. She brushed her nose against his cheek, before carefully evaluating the situation, trying to find the correct words. She turned to her children, who were watching the two of them intently. "Daddy's right guys- hand over the gadgets and gizmos. From today on, we're going to be a tech-free family."

Iris's eyes bulged and she sprang up to her feet, "But what about for homework? Even the books in the library are electronic! And all the missions with the team rely on technology for communication! And how about all our stuff at home- I mean, for crying out loud! Our _toaster_ is touch screen!"

Artemis grimaced, "I suppose so . . ."

Wally lifted a finger, shaking his head, "Well then, the rule is no 'games to do with technology.' No more than an hour a day, got it?"

Bart sniggered; he knew his father was going to eat his words one day, but he agreed; he was, in some ways, correct. He stood up, carefully striding to his parents before enveloping them in a hug.

Magnolia shrieked, skipping towards the trio and wrapping her arms around them, too.

Jai got to his knees, snatching a look at Iris, who was rubbing her knuckles in impatience. She hardly expected to lift her face and see the image of her brother holding a hand out for her. She grabbed it with gusto, squeezing him in happiness, before joining the rest of the family.

* * *

"That _consulayeshun_ looks like a snake!" Magnolia pointed to the sky, lying on a blanket.

Wally craned his neck to get a glimpse of what his daughter was pointing at. He chuckled, "Honey, that's Orion's belt."

She bore a curious frown, "Where are his pants then? Or is this like his closet?"

Jai scoffed, "His closet? Maggie, this is more like the _sky._" He teased his little sister, poking her gently in the ribs.

She giggled, squirming away from him, landing beside Iris, who was immersed in the view of the twinkling stars. She sighed in content, turning her head to look at her mother, who was resting her head on her father's stomach. "These stars are pretty, Papa," she commented.

"Yeah . . . There's like a whole story that you could tell about these things!" Bart commented, sitting up to look ahead. "See?" He pointed to a cluster of stars to his left, smirking, "These guys are all friends; they're bright and really close."

Iris chuckled, "But they are also a bit mean. They leave people out sometimes." She pointed to a single star a few 'metres' away from the others.

Jai hummed, "But, the 'people' that are left alone, they are the brightest. Those clumps of stars are only so bright, because they stick together."

"Which isn't always a bad thing," Wally added. "Everyone has _someone _supporting them." He gestured to the lonely star, squinting, "If you look real hard . . ."

"There are a few duller stars behind it," Artemis finished for him, smiling.

"Oh right!" Magnolia sat up, clapping her hands, "Helping that star be the brightest in the whole-" she stretched out her arms, "GALAXY!"

The group chuckled, and Jai turned to his brother, smiling slyly, "You're really smart, kid."

Bart blushed in response, quickly laying down again and losing himself in the shimmering lights.

* * *

"Home at last!" Iris stated, sauntering through the front door. "Who's up for a run?" She winked at her father, before Jai and Magnolia sped out of the back door and on to the country track.

Bart giggled, "Mom, wanna go do some archery?"

Before the blonde could reply, Iris slipped back into the room. "Bart, you're not coming? You can take your bow and arrows- I'll take mine, too?"

A look of surprise swept over Bartholomew's features, before they quickly melted into a grin. The siblings ran into their respective bedrooms, clambering out of the window for the sake of catching up with Maggie and Jai.

Wally smiled warmly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I see they've taken a lot out of that experience."

Artemis ran a hand through her mid-length hair, shuddering. She rubbed at the mud on her arms and legs, before grimacing, "We are never going camping again."

He laughed and winked at her; he was fully intent on taking the family out to Kingsley Lake for more "family bonding" in the next few weeks.

* * *

Wally flicked out his phone from his pocket, texting a few people, before turning on a game. He smirked, his inner child hammering out of him with every passing minute. He hardly expected his four children to storm into the room, grab his phone away from him and place it in a clear plastic bag.

Magnolia waggled her finger at him while Iris crossed her arms in disapproval. Jai held the bag holding the technology at arm's length, looking repulsed.

Bart shrugged, "No more than an hour on the phone, Daddy. Rules are rules."

Wally looked at them in shock, before letting it fade away into a smile as his phone began to buzz and sing. He held out his hand, "I've gotta take this call." He stretched his hand out further, but the four didn't oblige, backing away from him.

Magnolia snorted, "Daddy, I believe we were quite clear when we said no tech after an hour."

Wally moaned in frustration, "This isn't for games, though."

Jai smirked, "But you tell us work is a game to you, because it's so much fun..." He sang off key before spinning on his heel, throwing Iris the phone and watching her speed off. It would take Wally a while to find its new hiding spot, and that was if he would even be able to catch up to his daughter (who had long since begun to run at his speed.)

Wally rolled his eyes, before flicking on the TV. "You guys were right; going camping for bonding was a bad idea. It made you guys work against me." He joked, before turning serious, "Let's bond in front of the television from now on."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Next chapter is done, and will be up in a day or so. **


	56. Damian

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**A few of you have been waiting for a few certain introductions that I will create in this part, and I really hope you like them!**

**Thank you to my BETA Lala Sharada, and to all of my reviewers who I forever appreciate and adore!**

* * *

Dick strode into the team HQ, acknowledging Lian, who sat cross legged on the floor, polishing her spears. He smirked when he noticed Jacob and Iris. The duo sat talking to each other with a deep interest.

Jacob's excited hand gestures and wide smile as he described something to Iris, told Dick that the curly haired teenager was in a good mood.

He cleared his throat to let them know of his presence.

Iris was first to look up at her uncle, her green eyes sparkling benevolently.

Dick smiled briefly, before rubbing the back of his neck. "Today we're getting some new members, and I just wanted to-"

Jacob cut him off, "Cassie filled us in. _Four_ new kids? That's a fair few!"

"You'll technically only have one more member on the team though; Gar told us he wants to resign to pursue acting. And both Ella and Marc are leaving, too. Those three spots have been taken."

"But we need a fighter on the team!" Iris interjected, blushing slightly when Jacob glared at her.

Dick raised an eyebrow, "You could also argue that you need someone who can fly, like Ella, but right now it doesn't matter. We don't just force people to stay on the team."

Iris grimaced, nodding slowly. And Jacob pulled a face, before questioning, "Any stats you can give us on our new members?"

Dick smirked, "One's my brother."

If Iris had been drinking at the time, she would surely have sprayed the contents out of her mouth. Instead, she doubled over, wheezing.

"The best, if you ask me; powerful, great and downright adorable." A boy, short, wearing a cowl and a modified Robin costume appeared beside Dick, leaping down from the rafts above. He smirked, before glancing at Iris, "Ooh, and a red head. You never told me we ha-"

Dick growled slightly, elbowing the boy in the ribs with brute force.

The dark haired boy clutched his chest, his features contorted, before he stood up straight, looking almost unfazed.

Jacob turned to Iris, patting her on the shoulder awkwardly. She was glaring at Robin, daring him to go on. "C'mon, Iris. We'll just g-"

The opposing boy was fast on his feet and was a quick talker. He rushed to his teammates, holding out a green gloved hand, right between the faces of the duo, at the same time interrupting Jacob, "The name is Damian. And I believe the pleasure is all yours."

* * *

Iris strode into HQ, clad in her highlight yellow costume. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, before biting her lip. Recently, she'd been spending a lot of time with the new Damian kid. She hadn't met the other new additions yet, and had decided to stop by, just for the sake of introducing herself. She also wanted to profusely apologize to Jacob, since she had somewhat been neglecting him.

She found she didn't need to, and all fell into her favor; at least, with the preceding point. A dark skinned boy and two pitch haired teenagers ran towards her, beaming. She recognized them instantly.

Garth was the son of Aqualad. She'd known him since he'd been five. Zar-El and Ken-El were Uncle Conner's children. They were a year younger than her, and incredibly close. She hugged each of her friends in turn, beaming.

Jacob appeared beside Ken-El, who shouted out loud and backed away with speed. His knuckles paled for a moment as he clenched them, but he relaxed when he realized he was in no immediate danger. His twin sister comforted him momentarily.

But, Jacob didn't even get a chance to greet the group before a loud shout was emitted from the shadows in the room. Damian sauntered over to them, head low.

"So . . . Irey, was it?" He finally reached the group, slowly pulling his target away from the rest of them.

"Not exactly," Iris frowned. "The name's Iris; you can't call me anything for short." She came to the realization that she had never really introduced herself to the boy, and she forgave him for his misjudgment.

Jacob clenched his fists, scowling at Iris, "Yeah. She hates that," he spat, before glaring at Damian.

The dark haired boy chuckled, "I'll take note of that, Riss."

Jacob cringed. He knew Iris, and he was fully aware that the cocky Robin was going to get punched in the throat for such mistreatment of "Iris Laws." He waited for the hit, prepared himself for it . . . But it didn't come.

"Riss?" Iris asked, laughing, "That's the laziest nickname I've heard in a while." She sounded strained, and for reasons unknown to himself, Jacob folded his arms over his chest and smiled. His mouth popped open seconds later when Iris threw her hands onto her hips, giggled and cocked her head to the side, "Riss? I like it. Can I call you Damo?"

Damian grinned, sending chills down Jacobs's spine. He then continued by winking and snorting slightly. "Don't push it, Riss."

Iris smirked before glancing down at her watch. Her pupils dilated and she shrieked, "I'm late! Mom is going to have my head for this!" She sped out of the room without saying goodbye. It was very uncharacteristic of her, causing Jacob to frown. He knew the Wayne kid was already proving a bad influence. Jacob puffed out his chest and pointed at the muscular boy before him.

Zar-El giggled, pulling her brother and Garth away from the soon to be commotion. They decided to rush to their sleeping quarters, having no desire to be a part of the conversation.

Jacob craned his neck slightly, before crossing his arms over his chest. "Listen, fiend. Iris is my greatest buddy, and she is by all accounts the nicest person to have lived. Let me just give you something to take note of: If you hurt her, I will kill you. End of conversation."

Jacob spun on his heel, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder, grounding him. Damian breathed out a meager laugh, "Don't patronize me, or I'll break your face."

Jacob scoffed, shaking his hand off and giving him a glare.

"She doesn't even like you, Jacob. In case you haven't noticed, since I showed up, _I'm_ the one she's been spending time with, and you're just a walking pity party. The only thing that irks me is team selection: I'd quite like to be the guy she fights along side with."

Jacob growled, "To fight alongside a person, one must trust the other. I believe that is saying that Iris trusts _me_. I'm the one that treats her right. She "hangs" with you, as I believe she sees you as the troubled new kid who needs a friend_. Not far from the truth_."

"You don't know me." Damian shrugged, ignoring Jacobs narrowed eyes. "I'm really not a bad guy- you're seeing me in the wrong light."

"So far, chap, I've seen you at dusk, dawn, during sun and cloud and at midnight. The only impression I've gotten is that you're a spoilt child who thinks _way_ too highly of himself."

Damian barked a laugh, growling soon after, "You're being irrational, Jake. It's not like I'm here to have fun."

Jacob shouted in frustration, gripping the golden curls of his hair, "You're so annoying!"

Damian smiled, "But I am mature, I excel in everything I do, and I am quickly becoming Iris's best friend."

Jacob shut his eyes, concentrating hard on the trickling water sensation that enveloped his body. To Damian, he had just vanished from sight. Jacob however recognized himself as a coward.

The dark haired, snub nosed boy shrugged, leaning against the wall.

Iris teetered into the room, looking puzzled. She had obviously returned from the quick meeting with her mother that she had fretted about earlier. "Mom said you could come over Ja- Damian? I swear I heard Jacob in here. You know where he is?"

He smiled slyly, "No idea- but I'm here."

Iris furrowed her brow, "I see that. But you actually just reminded me . . ." She glanced around the room, ". . . Goop; Mitch I mean, is looking for you."

Damian rolled his eyes and stalked out of the room.

Iris instantly shot to Jacobs hiding spot, crouching down beside his invisible form. "Are you okay?" she spoke in a rushed whisper.

Jacob promptly nodded, reverting back to his normal self, "I still have no idea how you do that . . . But, I'm fine."

Iris exhaled in relief, before eyeing her friend, "I need to talk to you."

Jacob raised an eyebrow, "Me too- but, you go first."

Iris shrugged, "First things first, sorry I haven't spoken to you in a bit. I've just been preoccupied. You see, I think Damo would make an awesome friend, and I like him. A lot. But I need your advice. You're great at reading people: Is he nice?"

Jacob resisted the urge to shout out how unfair it was. He had liked Iris for way longer than she had known Damian! He reminded himself that she was his best friend, and the thought of hurting her made his blood boil. As much as he wanted to tell Iris that Damian was a dangerous, cold-hearted jerk, he knew better. "He's cool. A bit rough, but I'm sure he's all gooey, melted fudge on the inside."

Iris beamed, pulling him into a short lived hug, "You're the best, Jake! Thanks for being honest with me."

Jacob sighed, smiling at her. For a moment, green eyes melted into tawny ones, but the boy looked away, flustered and embarrassed.

"What did you want to say, Jake?"

He hummed in mock thought, before concluding, "I can't remember. Must've not been important." He licked his lips, hanging his head.

Iris nodded slowly, before patting him on the shoulder.

He looked up at her, rearranging his gloomy features into a dazzling smile.

She bit her lip, "You know there_ is_ someone I like more than Damian."

Jacobs's heart skipped a beat. He leaned in closer to her, their eyes meeting once more. "Who?" he asked, desperately trying to remove the eagerness from his tone. "You can tell me- I'm your best friend, Iris," he added, noticing the red haired girl looked hesitant.

Iris opened her mouth, but was interrupted by the heave of the door, which flung open and hit the wall with a bang.

Damian swaggered in, "Mitchie needs to speak to you too, Iris. I'll take you, show you where he is."

"How chivalrous, Damo. Thanks." Iris stood up, glancing at Jacob before rushing off.

Jacob could read Iris, and even by her seemingly simple expression, he had noted that she profoundly apologized.

She hadn't changed that much after all. Perhaps Jacob had been wrong about the influence of Damian on her?

* * *

The following week, Iris and Jacob sat next to each other at the West family dinner table. Artemis and Wally spoke of trivial things while Magnolia shrieked in delight at the amount of food on the table. Bart quietly ate next to his twin, scowling at her as she began to grab and swallow all she could without chewing. Jai wasn't repulsed, like his little brother, and ate in the same rushed, ravenous fashion. It was a normal family meal, even with Jacob there. The only thing that looked out of place was the red plastic chair on the side of the table. Damian sat on it, eating and making small talk with Iris.

With every additional word, Jacob, tired of being ignored, clenched his teeth and fists. He finally stood before he had even touched the potato salad, which lay limp and cooling on his plate. "I'm full and just remembered I have to be somewhere. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. West."

Wally looked up from his plate to stare at Jacob in bewilderment.

Artemis scrunched up her nose, but then smiled quickly and stood, "I'll take you home, shall I?" She glanced at Iris, who looked hurt, and at Damian whose expression couldn't be set or described.

* * *

Iris greeted Jacob a week later after a rather abruptly ended mission. He nodded curtly at her, ignoring her companion in the form of Damian. It had been three weeks since his arrival, and Jacob was upset that the teenager had been correct all along. He hung his head softly, earning an elbow in the chest.

Iris told Damian to work on his aim (to which he stuck out his tongue, scowled and strutted off.) The speedster took hold of Jacobs hand and rushed off with him in tow. He hadn't even opened his mouth to object before they arrived in a narrow street.

The homes on either side of them were like mismatched socks. None complimented the other with peeling paint and unkempt gardens. Jacob recognized the street as the one which held Paula Crocks new Gotham home. He shook his head, overcome by how fast that meant Iris had run.

Iris ignored his look that screamed impressed. She threw her hands into the air, "You need to get along with Damian! He's not a bad guy! Brash- yes! Poorly raised- for sure! But you need to give him a chance. Of course he needs to learn to hold his tongue, but he won't stop using it against you until you give him a chance. I want to spend time with you Jake, you've been my closest friend for a while, but I need to show Damo the ropes too; I can't just drop him: other than me, no one else gets along with him on the team."

Jacob shook his head, "He didn't exactly start off on the right foot: Interrupted us, insulted me, and started talking to you like you were a . . . Like a-"

Iris rolled her eyes, "He apologized to me, and from the looks of it, you don't even want an apology, you're just looking out for your friends."

Jacob sighed, nodding in agreement, "You know me well."

"I know your characteristics." Iris retorted, stressing her words, before glancing at the boy, "And yet, I have no idea why you don't want to get to know Damian. That's not like you at all."

Jacob decided that "because" would not be an accepted answer. He sat down slowly on the floor, leaning against a rotting wooden fence. He patted the pathway next to him, before gazing in the other direction, "He reminds me of someone."

Iris took her seat, cocking her head to the side, "You know everyone I know and I'm one hundred percent positive that I know no one like Damian."

Jacob cringed, but forced himself to smile nevertheless, "You don't know the guy I'm thinking about. It's too complicated to try to explain."

Iris buzzed, "Who is this guy?"

"My brother," he finally let out, sighing dramatically, "Brash, loves to insult, lives for the thrill, harsh beyond reality, not brought up to have fun- and with piercing little eyes, that can give off a look that makes you want to curl up into the fetal position and cry." Jacob sucked in a large amount of air, rubbing his face, "They even look alike. Heavy set, muscular, and black hair gelled _way _back."

Iris's mouth popped open in shock, but she rapidly closed it. She pondered for a few moments, careful to not look at her friend, before finally speaking up, "I didn't know that you have a brother! What's his name?"

Jacob clenched his jaw, "I _had_ a brother. Daniel- and I think I've shared enough."

Iris pulled him to the side, for a one armed hug, before resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jake." She shrugged, "Maybe if you stop comparing them, you'll accept Damian."

Jacob nodded, not willing to fight with Iris. "I guess you're correct."

She brushed his freckle dusted nose with a long finger, "As usual," she giggled.

Jacobs breath hitched as his gaze caught her eyes. He let a small laugh escape, "Can you promise me something, Iris?"

His companion stared into his eyes, giving him a quick nod.

Jacob swelled with happiness, "Promise me we'll stay friends no matter what."

Iris grinned. "Of course we will," she affirmed.

"I hope you're right." Jacob pushed a hand up his forehead, rubbing at the strained area.

Iris narrowed her eyes at him, speaking in a low whisper, "I'm always right." The two teenagers edged closer to each other, eyes shut, noses touching...but an explosive,  
"I AM HERE, you know!" made the pair shoot to opposite sides of the almost empty street.

Damian held his hands to his hips, smirking. Iris laughed, but Jacob only just held his ground. He cleared his thoughts, took on Iris' advice and opened his eyes to watch Damian pace briskly to Iris, to help her up from the ground.

With a light-hearted laugh, Jacob ran to them, smiling, "Why are you here, Mo? Where'd you come from?"

Damian glanced sharply at Jake with an echo of shock resounding on his features. He visibly relaxed after a few seconds, "You're in Gotham, amigo." He held out a hand for the human chameleon, "And why I'm here, in this spot exactly, is for me to know, Ache."

"Ache?" Jacob raised an eyebrow.

Damian grinned, "If you can shorten my nickname, 'Damo', then I can shorten yours, Jake.

Jacob chuckled, "That sounds fair." He clasped his hand firmly around Damian's, beaming.

Iris pulled the boys into a bone crushing hug, "You're amazing! The both of you!"

Damian shrugged her off, "I need to get going, or else Batman will have a heart attack in my absence." He winked, before hopping onto the roof of a one story home near the group. He waved, disappearing as he jumped into the garden on the other side.

Iris whispered a thank you to Jacob, who finally let his smile drop. His chance to reply disappeared as Iris pressed her lips against his cheek. She smirked, before darting off, only a blur to Jacob.

He smiled dopily, before snapping out of his trance. As the realization hit, he groaned. He had no idea how to get home from here.

* * *

**That was the introduction of a new story-arc.**

**And before you celebrate a new ship, Iris simply kissed Jacob as a thank-you. It meant a lot to him, but it was more impulsive by her. The duo is, unfortunately, not in a relationship yet.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**The next chapter I've had a lot of struggles with, but hopefully I'll have it up soon!**


End file.
